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The Phenakistoscope
Invented in 1832 by Joseph Plateau. This was a spinning disc that gave the illusion of movement when seen in a mirror. -
The Zoetrope
a drum with a series of pictures on the inner surface. When spun, it gives the illusion of movement. -
The Daguerreotype
The first commercially succesful photographic process. Each daguerreotype is a unique image etched onto a copper plate. -
The Chronophotographic Gun
Invented by Etienne-Jules Marey to study the movement of birds in flight. it averaged 12 photos per second which were each imprinted on a rotating glass plate. -
The Use of Celluloid Film
Hannibal Goodwin devloped the idea to use celluloid as a base for photography in 1887. Celluloid roll film begins manufaturing two years later. A crucial event in the developement of cinematography. -
The Kinetoscope
Invented by Thomas Edison and William Dickson in 1891. A strip of film is passed between a light and a lense white the viewer watches through a peephole. Marketed for sale in 1894 at a going rate of $250 to $300. -
The Vitascope
Patented and adopted by Thomas Edison to project films from the kinetoscope. Leads to the first Nickleodeon Theatre. -
The Cinematograph
Used as both a camera and a projector, the cinematograph was the first motion picture apparatus. Based off of Edison's kinetoscope, the cinematograph ran at 16 frams per second. -
Le Voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon)
By French filmmaker Georges Melies. First film to achieve international distribution. Helped establish fiction film as cinema's main product. -
The Great Train Robbery
Edwin S. Porter. The industry's first major box-office success. -
Nickelodeons
Harry Davis and John Harris open a theatre and coin the term "Nickelodeon" because admission cost was five cents. -
Motion Picture Patents Company
The 16 most significant motion-picture patents enter into a contract with The Eastman Kodak Company to maintain dominance in the rapidly growing film industry. -
Motion Picture Attendance on the Rise
Motion picture attendance rises to 26 million people a week in the United States becoming a monopoly. -
Multiple-Reel Films
Exhibitors learn that they can raise admission prices for longer films. Multi-reel films were the base of the motion pictures we see today. -
Hollywood
By 1915, around 15,000 people were employed by the motion picture industry in Hollywood. This same year, investment in motion pictures exceeded $500 million.
