Inducted 2007

Auguste and Louis Lumière, inventors and experts in the realm of photography, designed a camera and projector apparatus known as the Cinématographe, the forerunner to contemporary cinematic projection. The Lumières gained additional distinction for creating the first efficient color-photography process, known as the Autochrome plate, and are known as the founders of modern cinema.

Invention Impact

The Cinématographe was different from other projectors at the time. Its portability and hand-operated crank that advanced the film allowed the Lumières to record footage outside a contained environment.

The Cinématographe was initially shown to close peers within the industry, but it publicly debuted in Paris on December 28, 1895, featuring the 45-second long film La Sortie de l'usine Lumière à Lyon. Within the next four months, the Lumières opened theaters in New York, Berlin, London, and Brussels

Inventor Bio

Auguste was born in Besançon, France and studied at the University of Bern. By the turn of the 20th century, the brothers enjoyed worldwide renown; their small group of titles had expanded to over 700, and they were able to send cameramen all over the globe in search of interesting subjects to film.