Pianola

The technikum29 is quite versatile – beside all the communication and computer technology we also show very special exhibits: This is a fully executable pianola, year of manufacture about 1910-1915.

It's quite incredible to see these amazing marvels of technology, concerning jukeboxes. They were typically made only of natural materials like leather, gum, wood, bone glue, felt, metal, paper, ivory and glas.
By assembling these elements on an intelligent way, you can build a simple mechanical machine which is especially impressive for today's people. Here at the technikum29, we will show you how this device works, we will explain the basic functionality and play challenging compositions. While having covers removed, you can even see the fascinating mechanics working.

Picture of the Pianola

Movie projector "Dresden 1"

Photography of the movie projector Dresden 1

The technikum29 also features a movie projector from 1951 (there are more and even older projectors from the 1930s that are stored in the archive for lack of space).

Movie projectors have always been very complex devices. At that time, the bright picture projection was archived with an arc light which was generated between two carbon pencils. The waste heat was piped via a chimney pipe! Since the pencils got shorter and shorter while the movie went on, they had to be moved continously closer together for producing a constant luminosity. Otherwise the light goes out.
We will repair this device to show you an original newsreel from the 1960s.