The Kinora - motion pictures for the home, 1896-1914By Barry Anthony The first films were not seen on a screen; they were viewed in a peep-box, Edison's Kinetoscope. When inventors subsequently worked on other systems for producing motion pictures, they did not strive exclusively for public screen projection; cinema as we know it. The giant Mutograph camera was designed initially to make pictures for Casler's Mutoscope (later known in Britain as 'What the Butler Saw') machine, which used flip-card photographs instead of celluloid. As the Lumiere brothers perfected their Cinematographe, which would give the new medium its lasting appellation, they also devised a miniature domestic viewing instrument that borrowed from, and adapted, the Casler invention. Although less ubiquitous than the phonograph and the gramophone, the Kinora was the most successful of the 'home movie' machines marketed in Britain before 1912. The Kinora served three purposes. Firstly, it was possible to buy (or rent) popular reels of subjects primarily intended for theatrical presentation as films. Secondly, it became possible to have one's Kinora motion portrait taken in a professional photographic studio. Thirdly, an amateur camera using paper negative eventually made it possible for amateurs to take their own moving pictures for Kinora viewing. Barry Anthony, specialist in theatrical history and chronicler of the Biograph company has written an introduction (with additional material by Stephen Herbert) to his newly-compiled catalogue of Kinora reels, most of which are professionally-produced subjects that were also shown publicly as projected films. See the cover illustration A5, 40pp, numerous illustrations.ISBN 0 9523941 6 2 £4.50
The KinoraMy own interest in the Kinora- a miniature domestic mutoscope device - began in the 70s during a visit to the Barnes Museum of Cinematography, and was revived in the early 80's when I was researching the history of amateur cine equipment. I soon managed to buy my own Kinora viewer and a few reels, and was fascinated by the system - and intrigued that something so simple could give such an impressive result. After research at the Barnes Museum and the Science Museum Library and the Patent Office, I wrote a paper for private distribution in 1986, and a short piece for the Photographic Historian. In the following years I gave lectures on the system to the Magic Lantern Society, and at the Museum of the Moving Image in London.A few years ago I became aware of Barry Anthony's interest in the Kinora, and somehow it was decided that a re-constructed catalogue of Kinora reels would be compiled by Barry and published by The Projection Box. It seems that no example of an original catalogue of Kinora reels is known to survive - though no doubt one will turn up shortly after our effort has been published! Over many months a list was put together, necessitating visits to other collections and enquiries to private collectors and public museums. The introduction to the catalogue became a short history of the system. Viewing some of the old reels during the compilation of this catalogue - some from films by British Biograph and American Biograph, other Lumiere subjects, many as yet unidentified - proved interesting. One features Rebecca Clarke, 'Well-known centenarian of 108', and her cat. If she really was as old as she claimed when this film was taken (some time between 1896 and 1912), then it is possible that she may have been born in the 1790s. The idea, as we approach the 21st century, of the existence of a movie of an 18th century person seems odd indeed. Another reel features music-hall entertainer Dan Leno; just a fragment of business opening a bottle to pour a drink, but perhaps the only surviving motion picture of the famous comedian. Some were 'one-off' reels made to order; viewed today these motion portraits taken in the Bond Street, London, Kinora studio are poignant relics of their long-dead subjects. The final list seems to include about half of the titles available in Britain. There was much fiddling with close-up lenses and lighting as we tried to photograph the tiny leaves of numerous Kinora reels, but eventually some sixty frame enlargements were chosen for reproduction. The intention was to give an idea of the range of material available for home viewing with the system. Our printer Peter Gillies put in a great deal of time and effort to ensure the best possible results from the very variable quality frame illustrations. Pete Ariel kindly allowed us to reproduce photographs of Kinora viewers from his Ariel Cinematographica Register, and with illustrations from other sources the final booklet eventually came together. As is often the case with these 'labour of love' projects, there was someone else in the wings who gave generous assistance at all stages; thank you, Lester Smith. Details of Kinora reels continue to arrive - by fax and post, none by e-mail so far! Since the publication of Barry Anthony's booklet on the Kinora flip-photo system and its reels, many more have been noted at auctions, on market stalls, and in private collections. Our thanks to Lester Smith, Lionel Hughes, Erkki Huhtamo and David Robinson for supplying details. See an update of Kinora reels Stephen Herbert |
