PETER
MOLE, founder of Mole-Richardson Co., was born in Sicily
in 1891. At the age of six his family moved to New York
where he attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parochial
School until the 6th grade. His education did not continue
until age 20. After he moved to Buffalo, New York, Peter
enrolled at Bryan & Stratton, a 2 year Business & Engineering
College where he received his degree. At Union College
in Schenectady, NY, Peter Mole earned his Electrical
Engineering Degree. From 1917 to 1923 he worked for
General Electric Company and in 1923 moved to Los Angeles
with his family. His first job was at Metro Goldwyn
Mayer Studio in the electrical department. Peter Mole
then when to work at a rental house in Hollywood. While
working for the lighting rental house in L.A. Peter
Mole saw that the lighting equipment and techniques
early filmmakers were using were not fulfilling their
potential. With the advent of Panchromatic Black & White
filmstock, he saw the possibility of using the new Incandescent
Lighting to replace the less efficient Carbon Arc light
as a way to light movie scenes.
Joining
forces with Elmer C. Richardson, a shop superintendent
and teacher, and Fileding C. Coates, a chief studio
electrician, Peter Mole formed Mole-Richardson to pursue
this new lighting. In 1927, Peter published an article
in the Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers
(SMPE) on the cost savings of the new Incandescent Illumination.
In 1928, Mole-Richardson was asked by the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the American Society
of Cinematographers to participate in their first
Technical Report on Incandescent Illumination.
The report published a picture of the new line of Incandescent
lights from Mole-Richardson. As it is today, these Mole-Richardson
"Inkie" lights immediately became the preferred choice
of cinematographers.
The first MR lights were
built in a small machine shop at the rear of a garage
on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It
was just eight short years later that the company won
an Academy
Award for its creation of the first Fresnel Spotlight.
This would be the first of four Academy
Award Certificates, the last of which was
in 1984 for Technical Achievement in the design and engineering
of a portable 12,000 Watt
DC Molectronic dimmer control.
Peter Mole, Elmer C. Richardson
and other Mole-Richardson members published many technical
articles on lighting and lighting equipment in the SMPE
Journals. These track most of the significant
developments in an industry that has constantly changed
in response to new technical developments and world events.
Peter Mole became President
of the SMPTE from 1951 to 1952 and stirred some
controversy by embracing Theatre Television as a viable
compliment to Motion Picture entertainment instead of
its rival.
As World War II drew to
a close, Mole-Richardson was asked to light a convention
in San Francisco for the United
Nations Council on International Organization.
Today the Mole-Richardson
Company occupies an entire block between North Sycamore
and North
La Brea Avenues in Hollywood that includes buildings
on opposite sides of both streets. On premises are a full-scale
modern machine shop with computer-guided metal presses,
an art department with digital photo studio and print
shop, an administration facility, and a full-service warehouse.
For over 75 years, the traditions
of Peter Mole have been built upon by his and the Parker
Family, which has met every new challenge of the Moving
Image Industry to help transform a small company with
a niche market into what is now part of an expansive global
marketplace.
