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The Phenakistoscope is invented
1832 Joseph Plateau and sons introduce the Phenakistoscope. Like other toys of its kind, the Phenakistoscope was one of the more successful illusion toys. Pictures on one disc viewed through slots in the other, appeared to move when the two were spun and viewed in a mirror. -
The Zoetrope is introduced
the Zoetrope was introduced by William George Horner. The Zoetrope used the same principle as Plateau's Phenakistoscope but instead of discs the pictures and slots are combined in a rotating drum. Zoetrope's were widely sold after 1867. -
Praxinoscope is invented
Emile Reynaud introduces the Praxinoscope. Similar in design to Horner's Zoetrope, the illusion of movement produced by the Praxinoscope was viewed on mirrors in the centre of the drum rather than through slots on the outside. -
The Zoopraxinoscope is invented
Muybridge was asked, in 1873, by the ex-governor of California - Leland Stanford to settle a bet as to whether horses hooves left the ground when they galloped. He did this by setting up a bank of twelve cameras with trip-wires connected to their shutters, each camera took a picture when the horse tripped its wire. Muybridge developed a projector to present his finding. He adapted Horner's Zoetrope to produce his Zoopraxinoscope. -
Thomas A. Edison invents a projector
Thomas A. Edison, inventor of the electric light bulb and the phonograph decides to design machines for making and showing moving pictures. With his assistant W.K.L Dickson (who did most of the work), Edison began experimenting with adapting the phonograph and tried in vain to make rows of tiny photographs on similar cylinders. -
The first public exhibitions of motion picturesos presented
Using his projecting Praxinoscope, Reynaud holds the first public exhibitions of motion pictures. Reynaud's device was successful, using long strips of hand-painted frames -
Edison's Kinetoscope
Edison's Kinetoscope made its debut in London. The parlour which played host these machines did remarkably well and its owner approached R.W Paul, a maker of photographic equipment to make some extra machines for it. Incredibly, Edison hadn't patented his kinetoscope outside of the US, so Paul was free to sell copies to anyone, however, because Edison would only supply films to exhibitors who leased his machines, Paul had to invent his own camera to make films to go with his own. -
The first film shot with the Cinématographe camera
The first film shot with the Cinématographe camera is La Sortie de l'usine Lumière a Lyon. Shot in March it is shown in public at a meeting of the Societe d'Encouragement a l'industrie Nationale in Paris that same month. -
Lumière borthers screening
One of the most famous film screenings in history took place on December 28th, 1895. The venue was the Grand Cafe in Paris and customers paid one Franc for a twenty-five minute programme of ten Lumière films. -
The Latham Loop
The Lathams too had succeeded in creating a camera and a projector and on April 21st 1895 they showed one film to reporters. In May they opened a small storefront theatre. Their projectors employed a system which looped the film making it less susceptible to breaks and tears. The Latham Loop as it was dubbed later is still in use in modern motion picture projectors. -
the American Mutoscope Company
the American Mutoscope Company becomes the most popular film company in America - both projecting films and with the peephole Mutoscope which was considered more reliable than the kinetoscope. -
"Voyage to the Moon"
Georges Méliès produces his magnificent "Voyage to the Moon", a fifteen minute epic fantasy parodying the writings of Jules Verne and HG Wells. The film used innovative special effect techniques and introduced colour to the screen through hand-painting and tinting.
