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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.
In 1996 Barry
Anthony, specialist in theatrical history and chronicler of the Biograph
company wrote 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.
The booklet has long been out of print, but is now republished in a 'print-on-demand' edition, with extra material: a reprint of the 1911 Kinora catalogue entitled The Kinora Library: A Descriptive List of Moving Pictures that you may see in your own home, copied from the only known example to survive, courtesy of Pierre Patau.
A5,
70pp, numerous illustrations.
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In the early 90s 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. 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.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.
At that time I wrote: '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!' - and sure enough one did. This was also published (in facsimile) and has long been out of print - but is included in the new edition of The Kinora (2011).
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, which are included in The Kinora (2011).
Stephen Herbert
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