technology's^^
Dennis Karwatka
d.karwat@morehead-st.edu
The Lumiere Brothers and Their Motion Picture
Projection Equipment
often tested their camera by filming
workers leaving their Lyon photographic plate plant.
The brothers decided to show a
series of subjects to the paying
public in December 1895. They set
up chairs at the Grand Cafe in Paris
and charged one franc per person.
About 35 audience members viewed
the 20-minute program. This was the
first time that motion pictures were
shown to a paying audience. Among
the 10 short subjects was one of
Auguste's infant daughter being fed
a bottle and another showed their
father playing cards. The Lumieres
had also filmed an approaching
locomotive from head on. The realistic moving image reportedly caused
some to run from the room.
Photography took the world by
were viewed by one person at a time,
storm in the mid-1800s. It seemed as
About the size of a public mailbox,
if everyone wanted
the Kinetoscope
their images rerequired the user
corded for family
to turn a hand
and friends. The
crank to view long
popularity of still
strips of film frame
photography encourby frame in rapid
aged technologists
succession. This
to work on motion
produced the illupictures. The first to
sion of fluid mosuccessfully produce
tion. The devices
People soon flocked to new moa film projection
proved so popular
tion picture houses and the Cinsystem in 1895 were
ematograph was in
the Lumiere brothers
demand all over the
Auguste (left) and Louis
in France.
world. The Lumiere
Lumiere in about 1900
brothers produced
Auguste (1862films for awhile but
1954), Louis (1864-1948) and their
that Kinetoscope
eventually handed the
two siblings were born in eastern
parlors appeared
work over to others.
France. Their father, the artistic and
all over America
Louis returned to retechnically skilled Charles Antoine
and Europe. But
search on color phoLumiere (1840-1911) influenced all
the Lumiere
tography and develhis children. He was a painter and an
brothers thought
oped the Autochrome
award-winning photographer. Auguste
a projection
process in 1904. It reand Louis were also avid photograsystem would
mained the favorite
phers throughout their lives.
work better.
coior technique for 30
While attending Martiniere TechLouis deyears, until the invennical School, Louis became intersigned an intertion of Kodachrome.
ested in dry photographic plates.
mittent claw
Auguste investigated
Similar products had been marketed
mechanism that
in the 187()s, but Louis developed an
used a stopThe oldest existing production medical topics, served
as director of a hospiImproved version. The brothers
motion techexample ofthe Lumiere
tal's radiology departopened a manufacturing facility in
nique to move
brothers' Cinematograph
ment and wrote a mediLyon in 1882. The plates proved so
film frames
cal
book.
The
Lumiere brothers
popular that production increased
across a lens in quick succession. He
received
many
honors during their
to a million a year in 1886 and to 15
drew up plans and asked a company
long
lifetimes.
©
million in 1894. The Lumieres emtechnician to construct it.
ployed several relatives, and their
Called a Cinematograph, the reReferences
father helped market their plates.
suiting device underwent a series of
Day, Lance. & McNeil. Ian, (1996), Biographical
Although Louis probably had more
dictionary or Ihe history or technology.
developments that made it very
Routledge Press,
technical talent, the brothers shared
remarkable. By the summer of 1894,
Ellis, Jack C. (1985). A history omim. Prentice-Hall,
credit for all their work and patents.
the Lumieres' camera/projector
Fulton. A. R. (1960). Motion pictures: The developnu'nl or an art from silent rUm to the age or
could be used to create the negative
The Lumieres' financial security
television. University of Oklahoma Press.
of
an
image,
print
a
film
positive
and
allowed them to investigate other
Thompson. Kristin, &. Bordwell. David. (2003).
Film history. An introduction. McGraw-Hill
project the results at 12 frames per
aspects of photography. They worked
Publishers.
second. The Lumieres were the first
some on color photography but put
to invent a satisfactory stop-motion
it aside after they became aware of
Dennis Karwatka is professor
device. A pin advanced the film and
the 1893 Kinetoscope. Invented by
emeritus. Department of Industrial
briefly held it stationary for expoThomas Edison (1847-1931), the
and Engineering Technology, Moresure or projection. The Lumieres
Kinetoscope used loops of film that
head (KY) State University.
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techdirections • JANUARY 2007