1896 in film

The following is an overview of the events of 1896 in film, including a list of films released and notable births.

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Events

• January - In the United States, the Vitascope film projector is designed by Charles Francis Jenkins and Thomas Armat. Armat begins working with Thomas Edison to manufacture it.
• January 14 - Birt Acres demonstrates his film projector, the Kineopticon, the first in Britain, to the Royal Photographic Society at the Queen's Hall in London. This is the first film show to an audience in the U.K.^[1]
• February 20 - In London:^[2]
  • Robert W. Paul demonstrates his film projector, the Theatrograph (later known as the Animatograph), at the Alhambra Theatre.
  • The Lumière Brothers first project their films in Britain, at the Empire Theatre of Varieties, Leicester Square.

Ad for Vitascope Hall, New Orleans, offering "an entirely new series of pictures".

• April - Edison and Armat's Vitascope is used to project motion pictures in public screenings in New York City.
• May 14 - Tsar Nicholas II of Russia is crowned in Moscow, the first coronation ever recorded in film.
• July 26 - "Vitascope Hall" opens on Canal Street, New Orleans, the first business devoted exclusively to showing motion pictures at a fixed location
• October 19 - "Edisonia Hall" in Buffalo, New York, the first building constructed specifically for showing motion pictures.
• In France, magician and filmmaker Georges Méliès begins experimenting with the new motion picture technology, developing early special effect techniques, including stop motion.
• The Pathé Frères film company is founded.
• William Selig founds the Selig Polyscope Company in Chicago.
• Demeny-Gaumont work on a 60 mm format, first known as Biographe (unperforated), then Chronophotographe (perforated).
• Casimir Sivan and E. Dalphin create a 38 mm format.

The first kiss ever on film is in 1896 involving the great Canadian star May Irwin and John C. Rice.

Films released in 1896

• Arab Cortege, Geneva, directed by Louis Lumière
• Arrival Of A Train At La Ciotat, directed by Louis Lumière
• Arrivée d'un train gare de Vincennes, currently presumed to be a lost film
• L'Arroseur, most likely a lost film
• Baignade en mer
• Barnet Horse Fair
• Bateau-mouche sur la Seine
• Batteuse à vapeur
• Bébé et fillettes
• Le Bivouac
• Blackfriars Bridge
• Les Blanchisseuses
• Bois de Boulogne (Porte de Madrid)
• Bois de Boulogne (Touring Club)
• Boulevard des Italiens
• The Boxing Kangaroo, directed by Birt Acres
• Boxing Match; or, Glove Contest
• Campement de bohémiens
• The Cabbage Fairy, directed by Alice Guy-Blaché
• Carmaux, Drawing Out The Coke, directed by Louis Lumière
• Le cauchemar (A Nightmare), directed by Georges Méliès
• Childish Quarrel, directed by Louis Lumière
• Children Digging For Clams, directed by Louis Lumière
• Dragoons Crossing The Saone, directed by Louis Lumière
• Feeding The Doves, directed by William Heise
• Gestoorde hengelaar, directed by M.H. Laddé
• The Haunted Castle (Le Manoir du diable), directed by Georges Méliès
• The Kiss, directed by William Heise, starring May Irwin and John Rice. First kiss on film. May be considered the first romantic film.
• Lion, London Zoological Gardens, directed by Alexandre Promio
• Loading A Boiler, directed by Louis Lumiere
• McKinley at Home, Canton, Ohio, produced by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
• A Morning Alarm, produced by Edison Studios.
• New York: Broadway At Union Square, directed by Louis Lumiere
• New York: Brooklyn Bridge, directed by Louis Lumiere
• Poultry-Yard, directed by Louis Lumiere
• Pompiers a Lyon, directed by Louis Lumiere
• Promenade Of Ostriches, Paris Botanical Gardens, directed by Louis Lumiere
• Snowball Fight, directed by Louis Lumiere
• Serpentine Dance, directed by Louis Lumiere
• Spelende kinderen, directed by M.H. Laddé
• Up the River, directed by Unknown
• The Vanishing Lady, directed by Georges Méliès
• Zwemplaats voor Jongelingen te Amsterdam, directed by M.H. Laddé

Births

• January 20
  • George Burns, American actor and comedian (died 1996)
  • Rolfe Sedan, American actor (died 1982)
  • Isabel Withers, American actress (died 1968)
• April 8 – Einar Juhl, Danish actor (died 1982)
• April 26 – Ruut Tarmo, Estonian actor (died 1967)
• June 28 – Constance Binney, American actress, singer, dancer (died 1989)
• July 16 - Evelyn Preer, American actress, singer (died 1932)
• July 25 – Jack Perrin, American actor (died 1967)
• August 14 – Theodor Luts, Estonian film director, cinematographer (died 1980)
• August 18 – Jack Pickford, Canadian-born American actor (died 1933)
• August 30 – Raymond Massey, Canadian-born American actor (died 1983)
• October 6 – David Howard, American film director (died 1941)
• October 23 – Lilyan Tashman, American actress (died 1934)
• October 30 – Rex Cherryman, American actor (died 1928)
• December 10 – Torsten Bergström, Swedish actor and director (died 1948)

Debut

• May Irwin
• John C. Rice
• Cissy Fitzgerald
• Robert B. Mantell

External links

• 1896 in film playlist on YouTube

References

1. "Birt Acres". EarlyCinema.com. Archived from the original on 12 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
2. Mast, Gerald; Kawin, Bruce F. (2007). "Birth". In Costanzo, William (ed). A Short History of the Movies (abridged 9th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2011.