ABSTRACT
This prismatic Hilux 264 lens, found in the University of Groningen Film Archive, is a fixed anamorphic lens utilized for widescreen projection. Projection Optics Co. started producing this model around 1955, selling them to cinemas at a price of $395 a pair. Anamorphic lenses enabled the shooting and exhibition of widescreen film through 35mm film and standard projectors. By using an anamorphic lens in shooting, a 2.66:1 or 2.35:1 widescreen image can be “squeezed” onto a standard strip of 35mm film; consequently, using a similar anamorphic lens in projection, like the Hilux 264, the image can be “unsqueezed” onto a specialized widescreen.
