Cinématographe

More than 120 years ago, as cameras became increasingly easy to transport and use, many inventors sought ways to create cameras that could capture movement. In 1895, the Lumière brothers invented the Cinématographe, a portable camera that could record both everyday moments and exotic travel films.

In this section, you’ll learn why the Cinématographe was considered a portable camera, who invented it and how it worked. You’ll also hear stories from camera operators of long-ago days and discover some of the films that were shot with this camera.

Refer to the Additional Resources section to see a glossary of technical terms.

It may not be as light as your smartphone camera, but back in its day, the Cinématographe was designed as a portable device. Like other photographic cameras of the late 19th century, the Cinématographe was designed to be lightweight and easy to operate, allowing filmmakers to leave the studio behind and film people living their daily lives, as well as shoot travel films all over the world.

In addition, the Cinématographe made it possible to record and project films using the same apparatus, all in the same day. Much like your smartphone, which allows you to record a video and then watch it, camera operators (then commonly called “operators”) could move around to capture “views” and then project them on a screen placed in front of viewers. 

Back then, the term “views”  did not mean the number of times an online video was watched. It was used to refer to movies.

Between 1895 and 1905, the Lumière brothers created a catalogue of 1428 views shot with the Cinématographe.

Although the views seemed to have been captured on the fly, in actual fact, operators diligently prepared their shots. Images were carefully composed and the placement of the Cinématographe was meticulously selected. There was also some staging. During shoots, operators asked people not to look directly at the camera, to give the impression of true candid shots. In addition, operators sometimes orchestrated movements and changes in position so that the action always took place in front of the camera.

The desire to document daily life and discover cultures that were unfamiliar to Europeans at the time is evident in the selection of films in the catalogue.

Repas de bébé is an example of a film showing everyday life. It was one of the first home movies ever made. Auguste Lumière, sitting on the left, feeds his daughter Andrée. His wife Marguerite is on the right-hand side of the frame.

Arrivée d’un train à La Ciotat is another view of everyday life. The framing of this view highlights the movement of the train, which was a symbol of speed and modern technology.

These views, which were filmed around the world, provided glimpses of countries and cultures unfamiliar to European viewers.

This view, which was shot in Egypt, features the Sphinx and the Pyramid of Cheops, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. A caravan of camel drivers passes by in the foreground, speaking to the authenticity of this faraway land.

In the late 19th century, many inventors were searching for ways to record motion. The idea of photographing bursts of still images and projecting them sequentially was meant to give the brain the illusion that the static images were in motion.

A few years before the invention of the Cinématographe, Étienne-Jules Marey invented portable devices capable of reproducing movement, such as the chronophotograph and the chronophotographic gun.

The Cinématographe was invented by brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière. Both were entrepreneurs, engineers and inventors. Auguste and Louis began their careers in Lyon in 1884 as partners of their father, photographer Antoine Lumière, in the Société Anonyme des Plaques et Papiers Photographiques Antoine Lumière et ses fils. Between the two brothers, they filed nearly 340 patents over the course of their careers. Revenue from their patents and from the sale of photographic plates provided them with the financial means to develop the Cinématographe.

In the introduction to the Cinématographe patent, the Lumière brothers explained their intent to design a self-contained machine that would be light, portable and easy to operate. Operators could be amateurs with a basic knowledge of photography, who would be able to move around to capture views and then project them, all on their own.

Today, we can capture videos on our smartphones, anytime, using just our fingertips, thanks to camera inventors who searched for ways to record movement!

To better understand why the Lumière brothers’ Cinématographe was considered portable and how it allowed operators to work alone, let’s compare it to a camera that was invented by Thomas Edison at around the same time: the Kinetograph.

In 1891, a few years before the Cinématographe was invented, Edison developed the Kinetograph, which he used in his studio called the Kinetographic Theater (nicknamed the Black Maria). The Black Maria made it possible to control light levels, thus meeting Edison’s requirements for indoor shoots, which included circus acts and vaudeville performances.

The Kinetograph was situated inside Edison’s studio and ran on electricity. It could not be moved.

By comparing the dimensions of the Cinématographe and the Kinetograph, we quickly understand that their inventors had two completely different visions of what films and film shoots should be. The Lumière brothers’ Cinématographe made it possible to change locations to capture people’s everyday lives and make travel films, whereas the Kinetograph made it possible to film performances indoors in a controlled environment.

Which of this device’s features made it portable and easy to use and allowed it to get close to its subjects?

You’ve probably never read an instruction manual for your smartphone camera, have you? The Cinématographe may not have been as intuitive to use as your phone camera, but with some basic photography knowledge, along with the Lumière brothers’ instruction manual, an amateur photographer could operate it.

The following excerpt from a letter written by Louis Lumière illustrates his desire to design a device that could be used by a single operator.

From Louis Lumière to H. Mesnier on October 22, 1895,

Mr. H. Mesnier, Bordeaux

We are in possession of your correspondence dated the 20th of this month and have read its contents. We have not forgotten your previous request concerning our Cinématographe, but we are not yet certain of the price of this apparatus, nor of the timing of its sale. As soon as we can inform you, we will do so.

Our simple device will be easy to use and is unlikely to be damaged if placed in the right hands.

There will be no need for special knowledge when handling this device. A basic knowledge of photography will suffice.

Our device has an advantage over Edison’s (1) in that for public presentations, the projected images may be viewed by a very large number of spectators at once, which is not the case with the Kinetoscope (2).

Yours sincerely,

L. Lumière.

Note 1: Before inventing his famous phonograph in 1878, Edison improved the printing telegraph system and invented an automatic telegraph that used perforated tape. Considered the father of moving pictures in the United States, he became interested in this subject following a lecture given by Muybridge. He wished to reproduce not only movement, but also the sound that accompanied it. Edison’s genius allowed him to not only invent and perfect numerous systems, but also to surround himself with a highly qualified team. To ensure images were equidistant, they used Eastman’s celluloid film, which at first was notched (1888) and later perforated (1889). From 1890-1891, they developed the Kinetograph, which was the first real movie camera. Surprisingly, however, Edison did not see a future for the projector. In an individual apparatus, the spectator viewed the synthesis of movement: when the Kinetoscope arrived in France in 1894, the Bulletin de la Société française de Photographie wrote, “Ce n’est qu’un jouet de haute valeur [It is nothing but an expensive toy].” The Kinetoscope must of course be included among the many elements that Louis Lumière drew upon to create the Lumière Cinématographe.

Note 2: It weighs less than 5 kilograms and is easier to handle than its main competitor the Kinetograph, whose greater weight and volume make handling it much more awkward, especially for reporting. Moreover, images from the Kinetoscope can only be seen by one viewer at a time through an eyepiece in a box. Contrary to public screenings, in dark rooms, on a large screen, much more similar to what we call cinema today.”  

Lumière, A., and L. Lumière. 1994. Correspondances 1890-1953. Paris: Cahiers du cinéma. [Translation]

In the Lumière brothers’ 30-page instruction manual, operators could find detailed explanations of the camera’s functions and the preparations to be made before shooting.

So, how was the Cinématographe operated?

The operator’s first step was to set up the Cinématographe on its tripod. Next, the image had to be framed and focused. Like photo cameras of the time, the Cinématographe did not have a viewfinder (a small window through which the operator could see the image being shot). The operator had to plan the frame before shooting because once the camera started rolling, it was not possible to see what was being filmed.

When operators were ready to start filming, they turned the crank with their right hands. The crank had to be turned at a rate of two revolutions per second to advance the film past the print window at a speed that would record about 16 frames per second. Beginner operators often hummed certain songs to maintain a steady pace. Because the body of the camera was relatively light, operators used their left hands to hold it firmly in place and keep it as stable as possible. They therefore had to remain next to the camera while shooting.

To capture everything they wished to record on the 17 metres of film available in the camera—that is, about 50 seconds’ worth—operators had to meticulously prepare their shots.

So, who had the pleasure and privilege of operating the Cinématographe?

In 1896, a few months after the first public paid film screening in Paris, the Lumière company trained operators to go out on location, all around the globe, and create a “catalogue of views,” that is, a collection of short films. During the first year, these operators were the only people to use the device. 

In May 1897, the device was made available for sale. Between 400 and 500 Cinématographe cameras were produced and used, mostly by people who wished to pursue the occupation professionally. The Lumière brothers primarily wished to appeal to professionals, as well as to amateur photographers who had a good knowledge of photography and were already customers of theirs. However, the camera was not within everyone’s financial reach, nor was film. With all of its accessories, the Cinématographe cost 1,650 former francs, or about $10,000 CAD. 

Amateur filmmakers and professional operators hired by the Lumière brothers developed a unique relationship with this camera that provided them with so much freedom to move around. Cinématographe operators could transport the camera around the world and then record, develop and project their films, all in one day.  In a manner of speaking, the operator was a one-person team.

In his memoirs, Félix Mesguich, an operator employed by the Lumière company, recounted his multiple trips around the world, attesting to the freedom enjoyed by Cinématographe operators of the time, who could film while travelling.

This motion picture glossary will help you better understand some of the terminology used.

Are you the inquisitive type? Would you like to learn more about the Lumière Cinématographe? The following websites will provide you with additional information.

• Video on the story of the Lumière brothers
• Trailer for the film Lumière ! L’aventure commence
• Account by Alexandre Promio, Lumière operator (in French only)
  
• The cinematographic work of the Lumière brothers, sorted by shooting location
• The first paid public screening in Paris
• Sambre et Meuse, one of the songs sung by the first operators of the time
• The history of Cinématographe No. 16 from the collections of the Cinémathèque québécoise

Briselance, Marie-France et Jean-Claude Morin. 2010. Grammaire du cinéma. Paris : Nouveau Monde.

Coissac, Georges-Michel. 1925. Histoire du cinématographe de ses origines à nos jours. Paris : Éditions du « Cinéopse ».

Lumière, Auguste et Louis Lumière. 1895. Brevet d’invention de 15 ans pour un appareil servant à l’obtention et à la vision des épreuves chronophotographique. No. 245032. Lyon, France. 11 p.

Lumière, Auguste et Louis Lumière. 1897. « Le cinématographe par MM. Auguste et Louis Lumière ». La revue du siècle, no. 120, p. 233-263.

Lumière, Auguste et Louis Lumière. 1994. Correspondances 1890-1953. Paris : Cahiers du cinéma.

Mesguich, Félix. 1933. Tours de manivelle : souvenirs d’un chasseur d’images. Paris : Grasset.

Turquety, Benoît. 2019. Inventing Cinema. Machines, Gestures and Media History. Amsterdam : Amsterdam University Press.

Rittaud-Hutinet. 1985. Le cinéma des origines : les frères Lumière et leurs opérateurs. Seyssel : Champ Vallon.