The Science Museum Group’s cinematography collection, much of which is held at @mediamuseum, began in 1913 when one of the most important & prolific figures in Victorian cinema donated a number of cameras, projectors, 35mm film frames & other materials. His name was Robert Paul.

A pioneer of cinematography, Paul was also an electrical engineer & scientific instrument maker who created equipment, business practices & filmmaking techniques that helped shape the film industry as we know it today. He also invented Britain’s first projector, the Theatrograph.

His role in the invention of cinema began with the Kinetoscope, the first device to show moving pictures. Patented by the Edison Company in 1891, the device was not yet patented in Britain & so Paul saw an opening to make his own. Discover more: https://bit.ly/3aEkAPz