Former Projectionist Collects 500 Cinema Objects

In Amiens, France, 80-year-old Jean-Pierre Aillhery preserves nearly 500 cinema artifacts. He began working as a projectionist at age fourteen, serving twelve theaters in the city for decades. Aillhery collected these items—some dating to before 1900, like silver gelatin plates from Lumière—to save them from being discarded.

He continued working with film after leaving the projection booth, founding Chrysalide vidéo 80 to transfer old films to VHS for private clients. This work funded his growing collection, now partially displayed at Le P’tit Baltar cabaret.

Aillhery stores most of his collection privately, including a 1940 German 16mm projector and a hand-cranked Pathé projector from 1913. He plans to pass the collection to his daughter, Dominique, and his grandson, Gabriel, is learning filmmaking. He continues to digitize home movies, helping people rediscover family history.