Cinématographe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The cinématographe is an all-in-one camera, which also serves as a film projector and developer. It was first invented in the late 1890s.

There is much dispute as to the identity of its inventor. Some argue that the device was first invented and patented as "Cinématographe Léon Bouly" by French inventor Léon Bouly in February 12, 1892. Due to a lack of fee, Bouly was not able to pay the rent for his patent the following year, and the Lumière Brothers engineers just bought the license.

Popular thought, however, dictates that Louis Lumière was the first to conceptualize the idea, and both Lumière brothers shared the patent. They made their first film, Sortie de l'usine Lumière de Lyon, in 1894. The film was publicly screened at L'Eden, the world's first and oldest cinéma (theater), located in La Ciotat, France, on September 28, 1895.

The first commercial public screening of cinematographic films happened in Paris on 28 December 1895; it was organized by Auguste and Louis Lumière.

Several versions of cinématographes were developed, including ones by Robert Royou Beard, Cecil Wray, Georges Demenÿ, and Alfred Wrench, culminating with the Cinématographe of the Lumière brothers.[1].

Discussion of early film history is riddled with references to "the invention of the cinématographe" which is often found attributed to the Lumières – pioneers of publicity and show business as well as film and technology. Although the Lumière Cinématographe was a remarkable development in the history of cinema, cameras were concurrently designed and engineered by many competing inventors, all wishing to lay claim to the "first."