2 concept

This is the first recorded camera in existance, descriptions of which have been found in Chinese texts from 400BC. The camera does not take pictures, but instead uses a pinhole to focus light and project an image onto a screen. The Camera Obscura was a precursor to cameras for photography and film, as well as movie projectors.

The Kinetoscope was first used in 1891, allowing one viewer at a time to observe moving pictures. By 1894, these were shown in public parlours around the world.

1895

The Cinématographe

Invented by the Lumière brothers in 1895, this combined a camera, projector and film printer in one, and allowed films to be projected for an audience.

1890s-1910s

Early Films

Earliest films were often shown in music halls and fairgrounds, lasting only for a few minutes or less.

1910s-Present The Film Industry

By 1914, several national film industries were established. The next 30 years were important to the growth of cinema, introducing longer films and bringing storytelling and narrative to the forefront.