July 25, 2007 - Charlie Chaplin's Bell and Howell camera failed to get any bidders today at the auction at Christie's in London.
"A movie camera used by Charlie Chaplin in the making of classic films such as The Gold Rush and The Kid has failed to sell at auction.
The Bell and Howell camera was expected to fetch up to £90,000 when it went under the hammer at Christie's in South Kensington, London but it failed to find a buyer."
"The camera was bought on February 23, 1918, just a month after Chaplin and his brother set up Chaplin Studios to allow themselves greater creative control over their film-making.
Christie's said they believed the camera was used to shoot classics such as A Dog's Life and Shoulder Arms.
The auctioneers said it was possible that the Bell and Howell camera was also used for Chaplin's "silent" productions of the 1930s such as the acclaimed City Lights and Modern Times." - Press Association
Update July 27th, 2007 - America is usually a strong bidder in the market for film industry items, but with the dollar at a 26 year low against the sterling, it makes for a very expensive buy, no matter how you look at it. Of course, no one else made a bid for the camera, either.
(Roughly, the street rate to buy one Britain's pound is about $2.25, depending on the place purchased. Bank to bank rate is $2.06 for one pound)
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