Existing comment:
From Idea to Product
"I am experimenting upon an instrument which does for the eye what the photograph does for the ear, which is recording and reproduction of things in motion, and in such a form as to be both cheap, practical, and convenient. This apparatus I call a Kinetoscope 'moving view.' "
-- Thomas A Edison, Patent Caveat, October 8, 1888
A New Era of Entertainment:
On this floor, inside a temporary room, behind a locked door, the motion picture camera was invented -- and with it a new era of entertainment. Edison was inspired by Eadweard Muybridge's zoopraxiscope, a revolving disc of photos that gave the illusion of motion. In 1888, he assigned William Dickson to research photographic and optical elements for the new machine -- but only in his spare time. Edison himself worked on the mechanics and he partners with Eastman Kodak to develop the film. By 1891, they had developed a camera, called the Kinetograph, and a peephole viewer called the Kinetoscope. Kinetoscopes became popular in public arcades showing, of course, Edison films. Sound, projection, and feature films came later, but it all started right here.
William Kennedy Laurie Dickson:
William Dickson was a jack-of-all-trades. He worked on several projects, including ore milling, while serving as the lab's official photographer. His photography skills made him a natural choice for Edison's moving picture project.
Dickson achieved many successes, one being the first moving picture with synchronized sound. He wanted to develop a projection system, but Edison dragged his feet. Frustrated, Dickson left in 1895, taking his notes and knowledge with him. Edison considered it a great betrayal. |