Inducted 2007

Louis and Auguste Lumière, innovators in photography, designed a camera and projector apparatus called the Cinématographe, which became the basis for contemporary cinematic projection.

Invention Impact

Patented in 1895, the Cinématographe was unlike its predecessor, Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope. Movable and hand-operated with a claw foot to advance the film, with a reduced number of frames needed per second, the new camera allowed the Lumières to record footage outside a contained environment. It enabled users to record, develop, and project motion pictures with ease.

Initially reserved for specialists, the Cinématographe held its public debut in Paris on December 28, 1895, featuring the 45-second long film La Sortie de l'usine Lumière à Lyon, heralding the birth of cinema. During the following year, the Lumières opened theaters in the U.S. and Eastern Europe.

Inventor Bio

Born in Besançon, France, Louis studied at École Technique, La Martinière. The Lumières’ work had an immediate effect on popular culture. Their early films were the first documentaries filmed and later works served as the precursor to cinematic slapstick comedy. They also created the first newsreel, which was of the French Photographic Society Conference. By 1897, they enjoyed worldwide fame and their number of films had expanded to over 700.