cinématographe

Cinématographe is a motion picture apparatus developed by the French brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière in 1895. It combined a lightweight, hand-cranked camera with a projector, allowing both the recording of moving images and their public presentation. The device used 35 mm film and relied on intermittent motion to advance frames, enabling frame-by-frame projection at a speed typically around 14 to 16 frames per second. Its portability and dual function distinguished it from earlier, more cumbersome devices.

On December 28, 1895, the Lumières presented the Cinématographe publicly at the Grand Café in Paris, marking one of the first commercial demonstrations of cinema. The screening showcased several short films, including La sortie de l'usine Lumière à Lyon and L'arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat, illustrating everyday scenes and simple narratives. The event is widely cited as a milestone in the history of cinema and helped establish film as a popular entertainment medium.

Technical and historical significance: the Cinématographe contributed to the standardization of 35 mm film and demonstrated a practical, portable means of both making and viewing moving pictures. Its design facilitated the spread of cinema beyond single-view devices to organized public screenings, accelerating the growth of film distribution and exhibition in the late 1890s.

Legacy: the Lumière Cinématographe influenced subsequent camera and projector designs and played a central role in the early development of the motion picture industry. The device and the Lumière company produced numerous short films in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, shaping the technical and artistic foundations of early cinema. The term cinématographe became associated with Lumière’s pioneering hardware and, by extension, with early film projection.