Dear Mr. Burns,

I’m doing some research into the life and career of the pioneer cinematographer William Friese-Greene with the view of publishing a biography . . . My research is purely a private undertaking, my day job is a science teacher.

During the course of my on-line research I came across your excellent website http://www.precinemahistory.net/index.html which is extremely comprehensive and very illuminating. One of the chapters in the biography I’m writing includes a, rather brief, history of both photography and cinematography. May I quote your website and use some of the information contained therein?

Of course, if you feel I could use some information from your website, I’ll make sure any material I do use is fully acknowledged and appropriately referenced. At this stage I’m putting together the draft manuscript and still doing the research so I’m not quite sure exactly what information I’d like to include from your website – it will chiefly be reference to the major milestones and principle characters in the history of cinematography. I would be very willing to send you a copy of the chapter I’m drafting so you can see exactly what I’ve included.

Thanking you for your attention.
Kind Regards, Jonathan Foster

 
 

 
 
Painting Motion Pictures: Étienne-Jules Marey's Rifle in the History of the Discovery of Cinematography
In chapter 11 of Logic of Sensation, Deleuze refers to Étienne-Jules Marey's rifle. We will examine this cinematic device by working through Paul Burns' incredible site, THE HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF CINEMATOGRAPHY. Given his expertise and fantastic presentation of the material, it would be best to read it directly from this page: http://www.precinemahistory.net/1880.htm

Nonetheless, he has very generously allowed us to use his images and information here, so that we may better integrate it into our other entries on Deleuze.

Thank you Paul Burns very much.
 
 

 
 

Hello!

I'm sorry to bother you, but my name is Erin and I found your webpage: http://www.precinemahistory.net/related.htm, when I was doing some research for an upcoming project on photography. I wanted to let you know that your site was very helpful to me!

Thanks again!

Cheers!
Erin

 
Erin
 
 

 
 

Hi there,

Just wanted to provide a little bit of feedback on your page http://www.precinemahistory.net/related.htm
Not sure if you're the right person to contact but I just wanted you to know that as someone teaching an art/photography lesson to my middle schoolers, I found your page to be a huge help! I'm always looking for great sites to share with the class and my colleagues.

I also wanted to suggest that you add this page to your resource list: http://www.creativedisplaysnow.com/articles/history_of_photography.htm
The other art teacher I work with suggested it to me, and I thought it would make a nice addition to your page for you and your web visitors. Let me know what you think :-)

Have a beautiful day,
Serena Castleton

 
Serena Castleton
 
 

 
 

Hello,

First of all, you have a GREAT website on the History of Cinematography. It is a model of what this sort of site should be and rarely is: instructive, clear, illustrative, and fun!

I am working on a book about the language of the comic strip through the deconstruction of a single Nancy comic strip by Ernie Bushmiller from 1959. The gag in the strip revolves around the use of a hose, so in the Appendix we plan to show many earlier versions of hose-related gag humor.

Of course, 'L’Arroseur arrosé' (The Waterer Watered) is necessary to share, but we are having a difficult time finding high resolution scans of the famous and widely-reproduced frame.

Could you supply us with a decent high res scan (350 dpi in RGB color) or, perhaps, a similar scan of the 'L’Arroseur arrosé' poster displayed on your website?

Thank you,

-Paul Karasik

 
Paul Karasik
 
 

 
 

Mr. Burns,

“Serendipity” brought me to “The History of the Discovery of Cinematography” today, and I am absolutely DELIGHTED that it has!!

In a somewhat “futile” search for an “early clip of the 1905 made in Boston by Chase Walter Greenough (`1850-1919)” and Neurologist Theodore Weisenburg (1899-1934) who made several films,” on the general topic of “early cinematography in the history of the neurosciences,” I resorted to the ipl2 website (merger of the Internet Public Library and the Librarians’ Internet Index) where your book was listed SECOND out of 500 (thank goodness)!

I am currently doing my best to assist a friend in Italy, Doctor Lorenzo Lorusso, with a special project. However, I have no particular EXPERTISE in this area (either PHOTOGRAPHY, MEDICAL CINEMATOGRAPHY OR NEUROLOGY, for that matter), although I do enjoy special research projects. Also, Dr. Lorusso’s English is considerably better than my Italian, however, I believe that I might have been confused as to whether I was looking for “Chase Walter Greenough,” or “Walter Greenough Chase” – I was unable to locate anything using “Greenough” as a surname.

In the process of sorting out all this, I wanted to pause and write to you because, honestly, I find your book to be simply amazing. It was obviously a “work of love,” and to have it AVAILABLE on the Internet is a blessing. Many thanks for that.

I would also appreciate any guidance you might be willing to give me regarding where I might pursue works by both “Chase Walter Greenough” and Theodore Weisenburg.

In gratitude,Kathy Green

 
Kathy Green
 
 

 
 

THE HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF CINEMATOGRAPHY
 
 
 

 
 

Dear Mr. Burns,

I wanted to thank you for your wonderful internet site on the history and discovery of cinematography.

It is as informative as any book I have come across, but better because you illustrate with images and animations. I am doing my doctoral research on the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze (I study at Belgium's Katholieke Universiteit Leuven), and often times I must explore cinematography. I post my research on a web log, so I can better organize it, but also so that I can save other people research time by explaining parts of Deleuze's texts, and illustrating as best as I possibly can.

In the very least, I would like to reference your page that discusses Étienne-Jules Marey. I will provide a link and also my due praises. In the very least, let me thank you for providing such an excellent presentation of this material all for everyone's benefit.

Very best wishes,
Corry Shores

 
Corry Shores
Belgium
 
 

 
 

Dear Mr. Burns,

As one who has not only a commercial, but a formal academic interest in the motion picture industry (and being a fomer field archaeologist and researcher), I have found your work hugely interesting, extremely informative and elegantly structured. You are to be congratulated.

Kind Regards,

Stephen G. Nicolay
Acting Chairman & CEO - Lumen Film & Media Limited

Stephen G. Nicolay
Lumen Film & Media
 
 

 
 

Mr. Burns,

Thank you for your wonderful site! It has become an invaluable resource to me as I am teaching a group of students (5th - 8th grade) on the history of motion in picture. I am so excited about all that I am learning in the process of teaching this class.

Sincerely,
Mrs. M. Dunham

 
Mrs. M. Dunham
 
 

 
 

Dear Author of the wonderful precinemahistory website,

I am a student at the Victorian College of the Arts the University of Melbourne Australia. I have been researching Vida Goldstein who was the first woman in the world to stand for Parliament in 1902 she was also the first person to use technology for political purposes. She used the Magic Lantern (stereopticon) machine.

I was interested to give a little of the background in the use of this apparatus particularly in connection to women and noted that it was a woman who you sight the first to be recorded with a lantern type apparatus. She was a nun and I wished to incorporate that image into my thesis.

The thesis may eventually be made into a film . . . . . . . I look forward to hearing from you - I was greatly impressed by your inclusion of Alice Guy.
Many thanks
Karen Buczynski-Lee

 

Karen Buczynski-Lee
Australia

 
 

 
 

Thanks for the amazing online work, "The History of the Discovery of Cinematography". I have built and operated quite a few camera obscuras for the public in California including doing extensive repairs to San francisco's Giant Camera at the Cliff House including helping to put it on the National Register of Historic Buildings. If you have a book version of your work, where can I buy it?

Thank you for your impressive research,
Sincerely,
Chris d.

 

Chris d., California

 
 

 
 
"I want to thank you for your web site; it is an important work and a masterpiece. I took the liberty of quoting you on my blog. The blog is non-commercial. Thank you very much for your web site."

-- Grant
 
 
 

 
 

"The Complete History Of The Discovery Of Cinematography is the work of Paul Burns , a film historian and researcher who takes the position that the history of the motion picture should also include the history of all its elements , even before they coalesced into a distinct medium. ( Film may be a fairly recent invention , but the science of optics -- necessary to fix an image on that film -- can be traced to China in the 5th Century B.C. ).

This is a much more extensive offering than the Muybridge site ( not surprising , considering a roughly 3000 year time span ) and to keep things manageable , the History is divided into 15 chapters."
zoominfo

 
 

 
 
The History Of The Discovery Of Cinematography
refdesk.com
REFERENCE SITE-OF-THE-DAY

"Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it."
- Samuel Johnson
 
 

 
 
"Your precinema history site is a wonderful resource for a class I teach at DePaul University here in Chicago! Thanks very much for making this available. Visit my (much cruder) site at www.ambriana.com where I place the course materials and links for this course (GPH-205, Historical Foundation of Visual Technologies) including the link to your site at the Chapter 9 button."
Best wishes
Jim
Jim Janossy
Instructional Technology Development, DePaul Information Systems
DePaul University, Chicago, IL.
 
 

 
 
"Un site de qualité sur la préhistoire et les débuts du cinéma."
(A high-quality site on the prehistory and the beginnings of cinema.)
 
 

 
 

Lincoln Center Institute
Arts In Education
New York

 
 

 
 
Did you know that some of the elements of modern cinematography date back as far as 900 B.C.? Visit http://www.precinemahistory.net for an extended timeline. What part did the camera obscura and the magic lantern play in developing a system of monocular perspective on which Renaissance painting, photography, and eventually motion pictures would be based? What were some of the techniques of early photography that continue to determine the look and texture of period films today? What were some of the mechanical devices for recording and/or reproducing motion that preceded the advent of film? When and where did the first film screening take place? You will find the answers to these and many other questions at the site.

The Art of Watching Films
McGraw-Hill Higher Ed
Sixth Edition/Student Edition
 
 

 
 

A fascinating, in-depth look at movie camera history spanning nearly 2,500 years.
Fade In Magazine

Fade In Online
Top 100 Coolest Film Sites On The Net
 
 

 
 

The History Of The Discovery Of Cinematography

This is a great illustrated pre-history of cinema, with time lines and sections on the work of Muybridge and Marey, among others.
Dr. Robert C. Thomas
 
 

 
 
The History Of The Discovery Of Cinematography . . . "An elegantly-designed site describing the history of moving pictures from hand shadows, through camera obscura and magic lantern slides to bioscopes and early cinema."
Dark Screens
Cinema History Links
 
 

 
 

"THE HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF CINEMATOGRAPHY de Paul T. Burns, n'apporte rien de révolutionnaire par rapport aux nombreux ouvrages déjà parus, mais propose une bibliographie et une liste de liens intéressants, contrairement à bien d'autres sites sur le même sujet, les pages de Paul T. Burns sont régulièrment tenues à jour."

English: "THE HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF CINEMATOGRAPHY of Paul T Burns, nothing revolutionary compared to the many already published works, but proposes a bibliography and a list of interesting links, contrary to the good of other sites on the same subject, the pages of Paul T Burns are regularly held up to date."

Le Cinéma, by Philippe Rouyer
Bibliothèque de l'Université de Rouen

 
 

 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF CINEMATOGRAPHY by Paul T Burns.
An excellent survey of the people and their inventions that paved the way for the cinema.

Terra Media
History by Media | Film | Links
 
 

 
 
A massive resouce detailing The History of the Discovery of Cinematography, this site, by Paul T. Burns, "will provide more than a substantial glimpse into the discoveries" that led to the "overall growth of photography and ultimately, the movement of pictures."
I'll say.

COUDAL PARTNERS
Fresh Signals | Categorical Archives
 
 

 
 

"...while searching the Internet for something entirely different, I happened upon this site: http://www.precinemahistory.net/

...which gets my personal 'Oscar' for best-researched, best-written and best-designed Site Of The Week ... and which may interest some of the Members of this Forum...

Enjoy!".

Hendrik
Neuenhof, Switzerland

 
 

 
 

"A fascinating 2,500-year chronology of discoveries leading to the motion picture".

Art Institute of Dallas

 
 

 
 

THE HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF CINEMATOGRAPHY
"An illustrated history of the cinema since its very remote origins, since the site covers one 2500 year period!
The access to the encyclopaedia is done in periods, for which one has the history of the people who marked the evolution of the world of moving images , as well as illustrations" [Trans.].

Université de Montréal

Direction des bibliothèques, Université de Montréal
Library Resources / Sites Related to Cinema (In French)

 
 

 
 

"The development of motion pictures happened over a long time period. This neat site has info on cinematography (and what came before it) from 900 BC to the present day"!

NetSmartKids Organization

 
 

 
 

"Broad and complete outlook of the chronological history of the development of motion pictures . . . "

Gary W. Wake
Christian Tamminen

Primary Film Focus
United Kingdom

 
 

 
 

"Next time you're standing around at a party as a bunch of movie buffs compare the trunk shots of Tarantino and Scorsese, blow them out of the frame with your critique of the on-film detonations of, say, Alice Guy Blache, a turn-of-the century French woman who trained rats to attack her lead actors. Makes a good case for its claim that motion picture-making is 2,500 years old, with detailed timelines dating to 900 BC, theoretical explanations of light and lenses, biographical sketches of venerable (and sometimes wacky) film luminaries, bizarre inventions in film technology -- and wonderful illustrations".

Charles Kessler

 
 

 
 

"The site is constructed by the film historian and author, Paul Burns, and covers the history of cinematography over the centuries".
UNSW Library

University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia

 
 

 
 

Website review: THE HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF CINEMATOGRAPHY
" . . . a pretty helpful resource showing how even the cave-men (Lascaux etc.) with their static backdrops were able to create the illusion of motion pictures. Suddenly those flickering images on the wall of Plato's cave are brought to life!" -- Brendan

Excellent, this site offers information and images about cinematography from 900 BC to the present day. - Scott

 
 

 
 

"THE HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF CINEMATOGRAPHY: a truly stunning site that covers breakthroughs in optics, physics, mechanics, and art that led to the creation of motion pictures. Approximately 2500 years of visual history are covered by this outstanding resource. Highly recommended."

Chatterbee's

 
 

 
 

"Excellent history leading to the invention of Cinematography."

artCORE
School of Art, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

 
 

 
 

"From the discovery of the pinhole image to the first moving pictures appearing on the scene in the late 1800's, the 'prehistorical' stages of cinema cover some 2,500 years. Canadian film historian Paul T. Burns is to be congratulated on the prodigious achievement he brought about in this fifteen chapters long, well-documented history, amply illustrated and provided with links where useful. Add to that the easy navigation and quick loading, and you end up with a brilliant example of a truly good website".

Karen De Jonghe,
Lieven Vandelanotte

Karen De Jonghe and Lieven Vandelanotte
American Studies websites: Preview section

 
 

 
 

Fascinating site.

 
 

 
 

"Contrary to popular belief, the concept of cinema is not recent. Rather, people have been striving to create motion pictures since the beginning of time. This one-of-a-kind educational resource represents an amazing body of research on the subject, neatly compiled and organized on a timeline spanning over 2,500 years" [bold not added].
-EdGate


EdGate
Community Education Gateway
Wyoming Department Of Education

 
 

 
 

Cinematography's roots are traced back to the dawn of man in this fascinating and extremely unusual web site.


 
 

 
 

The History of the Discovery of Cinematography

"How can we portray a chronology or history visually? Timelines are usually long (time) and thin (dated information), but there are often multiple layers of information--- text, images, bibliographic references, and so forth".

"Here is one nice example of a visual chronology--- a beautiful web portrayal of the history of cinematography".

York University, Toronto
Visual Delights,
Gallery of Data Visualization
 
 

 
 

The History of the Discovery of Cinematography

http://www.precinemahistory.net

"Film historian Paul Burns' study is extremely well-researched and beautifully presented. Remarkably, it kicks off at 900 BC and winds its way through the centuries to the Lumiere Brothers via the magic lantern and camera obscura". http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2002/07/22/stories/2002072201270100.htm

Reviews
THE HINDU
India's National Newspaper
 
 

 
 

The History of the Discovery of Cinematography
http://www.precinemahistory.net/


"This beautifully rendered site offers information and images about cinematography from 900 BC to the present day. Its author "hopes to provide a substantial glimpse into the past history and discovery, of the marriage of photography, light and shadow, optics and lenses, glass and celluloid, into movement known as cinematography. The illusionary art of moving pictures has a vast history attached to it. It is the author's intent to provide that full history to all who desire to know."
"Appropriate for high school art, photography, and computer graphics students and interested others, the site is replete with information about the evolution of the art and craft".

Rating: Excellent
Written by Grace Smith

Grace Smith
Schoolhouse Site of the Week
Email Grace Smith

 
 

 
 

The History of the Discovery of Cinematography
http://www.precinemahistory.net/
"Subtitled An Illustrated Chronological History Of The Development Of Motion Pictures Covering 2,500 Years Leading To Cinematography In The 1800's, this Website presents a prehistory of Cinematography beginning with the cave drawings at Lascaux and the shadow plays of Ancient China through the "earliest-ever extant illustration of the camera obscura in 1420 and finishing with the first true "films," albeit very short ones, in the late nineteenth century. The site is structured as an annotated timeline with graphic illustrations but, strangely, no video".

"Researched, compiled, and written by Paul T. Burns, a Canadian film historian, the Website offers an interesting summary of humankind's fascination with light and its capacity to project visions of the imagination".

David Charbonneau
Editor
INTERNET SCOUT PROJECT
Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison
 
 

 
   
 

 
 

"Subtitled An Illustrated Chronological History Of The Development Of Motion Pictures Covering 2,500 Years Leading To Cinematography In The 1800's, Paul Burns' detailed study begins with prehistoric shadow plays and ends with Eadweard Muybridge's celebrated films of running animals. Mr. Burns quickly dispenses with the notion that film is only a hundred years young, and traces theories of lenses, light, and moving images from antiquity to the turn of the 20th century. And for fans of bizarre 19th-century inventions, you can hardly go wrong with Plateau’s Phenakistiscope, Stampfer’s Stroboscope, or Houdin's Automaton" [italics added].

 
 

 
 

ARTIFACT

Subject Headings: film history; cinematographers and cinematography; early and silent film

"Description: This web site describes itself as "An illustrated chronological history of the development of motion pictures covering 2,500 years leading to cinematography in the 1800's". The timeline starts at 900 BC and covers pinhole images, the camera obscura, persistence of vision, magic lanterns, light, stop-action series photography, lenses, optics, diorama, phantasmagoria, celluloid, and motion studies. The site includes links to related web sites and a bibliography of sources".

Artifact Logo
ARTIFACT
Best of the Web for the Arts and Creative Industries
 
 

 
 
Hi Paul,

"I'm pleased to tell you that your excellent site is now included in WebGuide, BBC Online's guide to the best of the Net. WebGuide>Entertainment>Film>Film History. Each week we highlight certain sites as 'Sites of the Week".

Many thanks and Best Wishes
WebGuide Logo
Nigel Smith
Editorial Assistant
BBC Online - WebGuide
www.bbc.co.uk/WebGuide
 
 

 
 
"Congratulations"!

"Your Web site is the Best ! It is the most complete about early times of animated images I've ever seen. I will immediately put a link on your page in my site about Cinema, Cinema.fr.cf "

"I'm a french audiovisual teacher and I'll will use some of your information and make publicity".

Frédéric Rolland
Cinema FR CF Logo
Frédéric Rolland
Audio-Visual Teacher
France
Cinema.fr.cf
 
 

 
 
"Congratulations! Your Web site has been listed as one of the Best New Links (new to our list, that is) for the current week [February 26/01] by the About Classic Movies site, located at http://classicfilm.about.com This means that we have singled your work out for special recognition. One or more of your pages are also listed in our Subjects library, which contains listings of Classic Movies sites we consider worth visiting".

The History of the Discovery of Cinematography
" This retrospective history of the dawn of film, and a pre-history of cinema, is both extensive and colorful, with lots of pictures for those who hate to read, and lots of words for those who don't. Must reading for film history buffs."
About Logo
Brad Lang
Your About Guide
Classic Movies

http://classicfilm.about.com
 
 

 
 
Hi,
"Your Web site (www.precinemahistory.net/) was selected as a Hot Site in today's [October 4, 2000] edition of USA TODAY.com a free and highly popular news service on the World Wide Web.

Just as we do with top-rated movies and TV programs, we look daily for Web sites that are likely to be sure hits with readers -- sites that seek to astound and delight, inform or amuse -- by exhibiting something remarkable in graphics, content or both.

Check out our Tech section at http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/cyber1.htm to find your listing, either today in the Hot Sites page or later in the archive of previous days' Hot Site reviews.

Your site may also appear in the hard-copy of USA TODAY, depending largely on availability of space. The best way to find out if it will be published in the weekly "New and Notable" column is to check the Thursday Life section over the next few weeks.

Again, congrats on a hot site".
USE Today's Hot Site Logo
Sam Meddis, Technology Editor
USA TODAY
usatoday.com
US
 
 

 
 
Paul,

"I just learned of your excellent site on cinematography from Yahoo Picks. I am going to make it a recommended resource for my newsletter, Webgrammar's Food for Thought, comprised mostly of writers, researchers, editors, educators, and students. My newsletter is sent via e-mail, and also kept on my site at: http://www.webgrammar.com/foodforthought.html also ... http://www.webgrammar.com/fft10-2000.html

I also want to give you an award, The Idiom Sisters Content-Rich Award. What an awesome work. Congratulations, and thanks for a rich contribution to the Internet community.

I want you to know that we've listed you at the following URL: http://www.ossweb.com/idiomsisters-winners.html

Congratulations"!
Idiom Sister's Award
Judy Vorfeld, Office Support Services Document/Online Editing - Site Analysis/Renovation, Webgrammar www.webgrammar.com
US
 
 

 
 
Paul,

"Your site is just a treasure trove of information.

Recently I was asked to create a web site for the Smithsonian's Photographic History Collection's Muybridge Collection. The holding includes hundreds of gelatine dry-plate positives, Cyanotypes proofs, collotype prints, lantern slides, patent models and apparatus.

Looking at my lists was more than a little daunting. Looking at your accomplishment has given me new hope".

John Hiller Research Associate, pre and early cinema mechanisms.
John Hiller
Research Associate
Smithsonian Institute Pre and Early Cinema Mechanisms
US
 
 

 
 
Dear Paul,

"Your site was just wonderful, I wish there were more of them like it, I know how much work and scholarship you have put into it, I have a graphical website for probability paradoxes and yours is so quick to load given the high quality and number of pictures.

It seems to me that Lawrence Weschler and David Hockney would have profited from consulting your website before the New Yorker piece came out this week!

We hope you the very best of luck for continuing such projects, Susan Holmes and Persi Diaconis".
Stanford University Crest
Susan Holmes
Persi Diaconis
Statistics Professors Stanford University
US
 
 

 
 
Dear Mr. Burns,

"You have a wonderful site; my congratulations. I am currently working on a project concerning Americanism in 1920s Germany, specifically the influence of Hollywood film in German opera of the time. Some of these opera use cinematic split-screen effects, and I was wondering whether you know the first film to use the split screen. Was it Griffith?

Thanks in advance for your help; it would be an important part of my paper.

Thanks",
Bryan Gilliam
Professor, Department of Music
Duke University
US
 
 

 
 
Dear Paul,

"Thanks for your appreciative words. Your comment is very valuable for me because you are an authority on (pre-)cinema. I should be most grateful to you when you would pay a visit to my site again and sign my Public Guest book. Of course I should be very happy with a link on your pages to my site too."

All the best from Henc
Henc de Roo
Author & Creator of the website
TOVERLANTAARN VERZAMELING 'de Luikerwaal'
MAGIC LANTERN COLLECTION
The Netherlands
 
 

 
 
" I noticed your site on the history of cinematography--it's great! It must've taken forever to do all that research. One thing though---at the end of the 1850+ section, there's a quotation attributed to Lumiere that I think was actually Edison's."

---Gina

then. . .

"Nevermind---you're right! I'm sorry---keep up the good work on that site, it's fabulous, especially all the links! Thanks again for your site---the 1850+ section is really a big help. It's almost impossible to find this kind of information!"

---Gina
 
Gina
Author and Free-Lance Writer
US
 
 

 
 
Paul,

"I was looking at your latest version yesterday and today - really nice work . . . . . there is no singularly focused site on the web like it. Congrats Paul for a job VERY well done! Take care - once again a truly magnificent site."

Regards, Russ
Russell Naughton, Ph.D.
Radio Australia (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Creator of the website ADVENTURES IN CYBERSOUND
Southbank, Australia
 
 

 
   Hello Paul, There couldn't be a better man to create this website. It's more like the wikipedia of the moving image than a simple website. Very information and an amazing read for the ones who love this subject.

Damien Cyrus from SoundUnsound.com

 
 

 

 
 
Dear Mr Burns,

"I discover today your site. It is very useful and nicely illustrated. You may be interested to have a look on my website "Histoire de la télévision" (http://histv2.free.fr) with a rarity : the comprehensive reproduction of Adriano de Paiva, La téléscopie électrique basée sur l'emploi du sélénium , Porto, 1880, one of the very first publication on the hypothesis of television. I was considering to compile a short chronology of the history of cinema and television.

When reading yours, I realize that most of the work is already done. What do you think of a French version ? Your bibliography should include Laurent MANNONI, Le grand art de la Lumiere et de l'ombre. Archéologie du cinéma, Nathan Université, Paris, 1994. It is probably the most comprehensive and up-to-date book in French on this topic, written by the responsible of devices of the Cinémathèque française.

I will include a link on my site.

Yours sincerely, Andre
Andre Lange
Professor
Free University of Brussels (ULB)
Belgium
 
 

 
 
Dear Mr Burns,

"I visited your web site and found it fascinating."

also . . .

Dear Paul,

"Many thanks for your e-mail. The sites you suggested were interesting but concerned art from a later period than the one we were interested in. Your site - with its history of the camera obscura - has proved to be the most useful. Thanks again for your interest".

Best wishes, Paul
Paul Melia
Reader In The History of Art
Staffordshire University
UK
 
 

 
 
" Hi, my name is Veronica Santoro and I am researching a small paper for my early cinema class for grad school. I got this website address from a list our instructor gave us and it is wonderful - succinct and thorough at the same time."
 
Veronica Santoro
Graduate Student
California, US
 
 

 
 
New this week from the Pinhole Diary: (October 26/99)

New On-line Illustrated History

"The History of the Discovery of Cinematography" might as easily been named "Science and Technology Inspired by the Pinhole" (almost). It is an interesting site, packed with detailed information, arranged chronologically. Where appropriate, there are many links, in context, for further information on people, optic devices, processes and other covered areas. And there is much on the pinhole. The author, Paul Burns states that he

"hopes to provide a substantial glimpse into the past history and discovery, of the marriage of photography, light and shadow, optics and lenses, glass and celluloid, into movement known as cinematography."

And he has done an excellent job. Burns is a film historian, researcher, author and former journalist and photographer living in Canada. I did have some trouble orienting myself to the site navigation at first, but finally realized that you get to the historical information from the date links "900 BC+" through "1895+".

- Gregg Kemp
Pinhole Visions  Logo
Gregg Kemp
Creator of the website
PINHOLE VISIONS
 
 

 
 
"Good work!
You do a very good work!
We link your site to our ABC (Brazilian Association of Cinematography).
Congratulations."
Carlos Ebert
Cinematographer, Director, Writer
ASSOCIAAO BRASILEIRA DE CINEMATOGRAFIA
Rio de Janiero, Brazil
 
 

 
 
"My compliments for this most interesting site. This is one of the nice places on the net I visit very often. Please ad my comment and links to your fascinating site."
Weynant's Fantasmagore
 
 

 
 
"Hello Paul,

Thanks for your recreation and the links. I think they are fitting additions of 'moving pictures' to your extensive work."
Charl Lucassen
Creator of the former website CHRONOPHOTOGRAPHICAL PROJECTIONS
Leiden, Netherlands
 
 

 
 
"I LOVE your website! Can you put a link to our website on your website also?"
Thomas R. Bond, ll
President
AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE & BIOGRAPH COMPANY
US
 
 

 
 
"Very informative web site on the History of Cinematography"!
Guy Edward Harrup
Edith Cowan University
Perth, Western Australia
 
 

 
 
"I enjoyed your site!

You might want to track down a relatively recent book by Deac Rossell and compare your history to his. The book is called something like "the same old thing with a new name??" and it's published by SUNY Buffalo."

Best, Marta
Marta Braun
Professor
Ryerson University
Toronto, Canada
 
 

 
 
"I know first hand the amount of effort involved . . . . . I'm in awe of your effort here. Its terrific!

In fact I am going to email your web address to the computer teacher at my children's school so students can visit your site.

Cheers! "
 
Michael Smith
Student of Film
Canada
 
 

 
 
"A wonderful job . . . . . and very significant contribution to the knowledge of the subject.

I am dually impressed by your erudition and information on Kircher. Your help and this site of yours is marvelous.

I look forward to hearing further from you"
Jack Judson
Curator and Director
MAGIC LANTERN CASTLE MUSEUM
San Antonio, Texas
 
 

 
 
"An amazing on-line encyclopedia of the moving image. Splendid work!

We are pleased to be associated with your excellent site".
Michael Linder
MICHAEL LINDER PRODUCTIONS
Creator of the website
EADWEARD MUYBRIDGE, FATHER OF MOTION PICTURES
U.S.
 
 

 
 
"Without a doubt, a great piece of work. Simply beautiful. The content is SO comprehensive.

Brilliantly done."
Russell Naughton, Ph.D.
Radio Australia (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Creator of the website ADVENTURES IN CYBERSOUND
Southbank, Australia
 
 

 
 
"Excellent site."
Stephen Herbert
Publisher and Creator of the website
THE PROJECTION BOX
London, England
 
 

 
 
"Splendid! My compliments! There is no site that equals yours on this subject. "
Michael Rogge
COLLECTOR
Creator of the website COLLECTING CINEMATOGRAPHICA
Netherlands
 
 

 
 
"Thank you for creating such an interesting and informative site. A delightful and informative web site on the history of Cinematography.

In addition to the illustrated history, Paul provides an extensive page of related sites covering various elements of cine history and a superb bibliography page listing a wide variety of reference books on subjects related to cine history."
Robert Carter
Executive THE PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA
Toronto, Canada
 
 

 
 
"Terrific web site."
Early History Of Binoculars Logo
Peter Abrahams
Author and Creator of the website
THE EARLY HISTORY OF BINOCULARS
Oregon, U.S.
 
 

 
 
"Fascinating site."
 
Philip Ormond
Collector
London, England
 
 

 
 
"Congratulations for your very interesting history (and prehistory) of the cinema. We shall add soon a link with your site."
Jean-Jacques Meusy
Research Director
ASSOCIATION FRANCAISE DE RECHERCHE SUR L'HISTOIRE DU CINEMA
Paris, France
 
 

 
 
"Excellent site."
Ricardo Costa
FILM DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
Creator of the website CINE GUIDE
Lisbon, Portugal
 
 

 
 
I enjoyed your History of Cinematography web site very much. It was very thorough and interesting. It was the most comprehensive I've seen for the years prior to the 1700s.

What a wonderful source of information you are!

Thanks for taking the time to add accuracy to this book."
 
Sue Vander Hook
Author
Minnesota, U.S.
 
 

 
 
"Loved your site, it is wonderful."
Dr. Vanessa Toulmin
Assistant Director
NATIONAL FAIRGROUND ARCHIVE
University of Sheffield
Sheffield, U.K.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
       
Main Page Contents Preface Introduction Bibliography Related Sites Critiques About The Author Copyright Information 900bc-1399 1440-1599 1600-1649 1650-1699 1700-1749 1750-1799 1800-1829 1830-1849 1850-1859 1860-1869 1870-1879 1880-1884 1885-1899 1890-1894 1895 - 1900 Planetel Communications Top of Page
 
Home Page Table of Contents Preface Introduction Years 900BC - 1399 Years 1400 - 1599 Years 1600 - 1649 Years 1650 - 1699 Years 1700 - 1749 Years 1750 - 1799 Years 1800 - 1829 Years 1830 - 1849 Years 1850 - 1859 Years 1860 - 1869 Years 1870 - 1879 Years 1880 - 1884 Years 1885 - 1889 Years 1890 - 1894 Years 1895 - 1900 Bibliography Related Sites Critiques About The Author Copyright Information Email The Author