Edison Kinetoscope

Made:
1894 in United States
maker:
Thomas Alva Edison
inventor:
William Kennedy Laurie Dickson

Edison 'Kinetoscope', Invented by Edison's British employee, William Kennedy Laurie Dickson (1860 - 1935), this was the first device to show moving pictures.

Invented by Edison's British employee, William Kennedy Laurie Dickson, this was the first device to show moving pictures. The viewer looked through an eyepiece at the top of the machine at the film gate. The film, initially about 20 seconds in length, ran through the mechanism in a continuous loop.

Kinetoscope parlours, offering a choice of films, opened first in New York on 14 April 1894 and in London on 18 October 1894. The parlours did not survive the introduction of the cinema a year later by the Lumiere brothers in Paris. Edison coined the term 'kinetoscope' from the Greek word for movement-watcher.

Details

Category:
Cinematography
Object Number:
1948-277
Materials:
wood (unidentified), brass (copper, zinc alloy), steel (metal), metal (unknown) and glass
type:
kinetoscope
credit:
The National Media Museum, Bradford

Parts

Edison Kinetoscope

Edison Kinetoscope

Main part of Edison Kinetoscope. Invented by Edison's British employee, William Kennedy Laurie Dickson (1860 - 1935), this was the first device to show moving pictures. Painted in white on left side 'Dept II No 584'. Brass plaque on upper front inscribed 'No 509 / Edison Kinetoscope / Manufactured by Edison Mfg Co Orange / NJ USA'.

Measurements:
overall: 1140 mm x 465 mm x 690 mm,
Materials:
wood (unidentified) , brass (copper, zinc alloy) , steel (metal) , metal (unknown) , glass and cellulose acetate
Object Number:
1948-277/1
type:
kinetoscope
Four Screw Bolts for Edison 'Kinetoscope'

Four Screw Bolts for Edison 'Kinetoscope'

Two bolts and two screws, part of assembly for Edison Kinetoscope.

Materials:
steel (metal)
Object Number:
1948-277/2
type:
screw and bolt
Edison Kinetoscope

Edison Kinetoscope

Wooden door from Edison Kinetoscope.

Measurements:
overall: 920 mm x 500 mm x 20 mm, 4.1 kg
Materials:
wood (unidentified)
Object Number:
1948-277/3
type:
door