Question about Airequipt history

Lee Rust · Nov 28, 2022

In preparation for a project, I've acquired a number of old aluminum Airequipt magazines for 2x2 slides. They only hold 36 slides and are quite intricate, but work very nicely with their basic 'Model P' slide changer mechanism mounted on an antique projector. I eventually got to wondering about the history of the Airequipt Manufacturing Company and was surprised to find that there is very little information online aside from eBay listings for their various "vintage" products. I street-viewed their former factory building in New Rochelle NY and discovered a few 60 year-old fragments of corporate ephemera but little else. Does anybody here know any more details? How long were those slide magazines in production?

Thanks!

MarkS · Dec 9, 2022

I've been around the photo world for about 50 years, and the only products I remember with that name were slide projectors. Like most other brands of such, they were eventually vanquished by the Kodak Carousel.

Sirius Glass · Dec 9, 2022

Airequipt was popular because it did not jam until Kodak brought out the Carousel which used gravity instead of an aluminum frame to prevent jamming.

mshchem · Dec 9, 2022

I have a 4 in 1 easel my father bought at least 70 years back. We had a Airequipt projector with those trays when I was growing up. As it got older it would jam.
Lots of fond memories.

Lee Rust · Dec 12, 2022

So Airequipt was in business by at least 1950. Does anybody know when they shut down?

Kodachromeguy · Dec 19, 2022

My dad bought a Sawyer's slide projector in 1966 or 1967. I do not remember if he looked at any Airequipt projectors, and if he did ,why he did not buy one. The Sawyers used a circular tray held vertically. It looked like a carousel tray but was not compatible. It was mediocre optical quality, and I replaced it with a Leitz RT-300 in 1980 or 1981. The RT-300 was based on an American frame (I can't recall the manufacturer) but had a different light path and a Leica lens. I still use it once in awhile.

wiltw · Dec 20, 2022

Airequipt made slide viewing equipment, as well as slide projectors, and in the early 1960s offered a 35mm rangefinder camera.
In the late 1950s I remember one of my uncles had an Airequipt slide viewer.

FriedLouisStudio · Mar 15, 2023

I've got one of their tabletop "Stereo Theater" slide viewers from the 50s, and it was still working great the last time I made a pass through my parents' stereo slides about four years ago.

I've also got several empty, essentially new-in-box stereo slide trays for the Stereo Theater if anybody's looking for them.

Lee Rust · Jun 14, 2023

Thanks for all these clues. Slide projection used to be an essential way to see photos, but digital technology has pushed it into the dim, dark past for most of us. Even the ubiquitous Kodak Carousel has become a curiosity.

Sirius Glass · Jun 14, 2023

Lee Rust said:
Thanks for all these clues. Slide projection used to be an essential way to see photos, but digital technology has pushed it into the dim, dark past for most of us. Even the ubiquitous Kodak Carousel has become a curiosity.

Also a dust collector in my closet.

AnselMortensen · Jun 14, 2023

Airequipt was another US photo equipment company that got left in the dust in the '70's...along with Graflex, Wollensak, Revere, Ansco, Burke & James, and DeJur.

DeJur at least had sense enough to diversify into the Soup business.

(I'll show myself out... )

mshchem · Jun 15, 2023

AnselMortensen said:
Airequipt was another US photo equipment company that got left in the dust in the '70's...along with Graflex, Wollensak, Revere, Ansco, Burke & James, and DeJur.

DeJur at least had sense enough to diversify into the Soup business.

(I'll show myself out... )

That's Good! Bravo!!!

mshchem · Jun 15, 2023

Lee Rust said:
Thanks for all these clues. Slide projection used to be an essential way to see photos, but digital technology has pushed it into the dim, dark past for most of us. Even the ubiquitous Kodak Carousel has become a curiosity.

I have very fond memories of my father's slide shows. We had a very stubborn Airequipt projector that as long as my Dad ran the projector it went pretty well. That projector got so old I was afraid to plug it in. I took at least 900 Kodachrome slides out of the Airequipt trays with the little aluminum frames, transfered to Carousel trays. I even remember a smell of the projector and the old screen. I love looking at the pictures, my Dad was a great photographer, Argus C3 camera
I need to get the projector out and look at some slides.

Sirius Glass · Jun 15, 2023

AnselMortensen said:
Airequipt was another US photo equipment company that got left in the dust in the '70's...along with Graflex, Wollensak, Revere, Ansco, Burke & James, and DeJur.

DeJur at least had sense enough to diversify into the Soup business.

(I'll show myself out... )

Have you not shame?

Puns grow in healthy groans. And the PUNishment continues.

Question about Airequipt history

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