Was cinema born, in London no less, on this day, January 14th, 1896? This London History Bulletin initiates a probe.
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Story time. History time.
Not sure. This one might need to be accompanied with a grain of salt warning. Anyway, for what it’s worth, here it is, a claim for London and January 14th.
The claim is made in a very fine reference book, Chambers Book of Days. For today it says, “on January 14th 1896 the first public screening of a motion picture was given by the Royal Photographic Society in London.”
My response, “oh, that’s interesting – so cinema got started in London. And we can pinpoint the day. That might be fun for people who like to dazzle their friends with the range and depth of their knowledge. Like to throw them the occasional Googly. You know, ‘hey Keith, you’re a cinema buff, you doing anything today to mark the occasion.’ Keith gives you a blank stare. And you respond, ‘Keith, surely you know that today’s the anniversary of the birth of cinema.’”
And hey presto, just like that you’ve got a commanding lead in that social encounter’s conversational lists.
You might have to brazen it out, though, if Keith is a digger, a persistent digger.
And in due course gets back to you, ‘ok, smart guy, chapter and verse please on that January 14th cinema anniversary business. Because I looked it up and I couldn’t find out anything about that.’ Well, I’m with Keith on that. I’ve got the Chambers mention. But I couldn’t any corroboration for it. There was nothing in the newspapers about it. You’d think there would be. And of course the internet begged to differ.
It credits the Lumiere brothers with being the first players to present projected moving pictures to a paying audience. That was in Paris. In December of 1895. And look, given the French obsession with the cinema, well, who would begrudge them that “we got there first” claim.
For me, the main takeaway from this foray was learning the first address – well, the first two addresses – of the Royal Photographic Society. From 1899 to 1909 they were at 66 Russell Square.
And then from 1909 to 1940 35 Russell Square. So that’s nice to know – another feather in the cap of Russell Square.
For the record, what my researches did yield up was the first reference in the Telegraph after 1895 to the words “motion picture.” And wouldn’t you know, it was an ad.
The ad began, “A good way to make money is to give public exhibitions in halls, churches, school houses and opera houses with our panoramic stereopticon exhibition outfit, illustrating the Spanish-American and Filipino wars with both stationary and motion pictures.”
There’s something just so London about that – the eye to the main chance.
And on that note, good luck with your conversational fencing match with Keith and, yes, here’s to some good cinema-going.
You’ve been listening – grain of salt in hand – to the London History Bulletin.
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And on that agreeable note…come then, let us go forward together on some great London Walks. See ya tomorrow.