Robert Paul and the Origins of British Cinema
Robert Paul and the Origins of British Cinema
Cite
Abstract
Responsibility for the invention of moving pictures has traditionally been contested, largely between American and French pioneers, with some recognition of early achievements in England. But the London-based electrical engineer Robert Paul has never received the recognition he deserves, despite figuring in many histories for his imaginative response to H. G. Wells’ Time Machine story of 1895. Although no such machine was attempted, Paul, like the Lumières in France, built upon Edison’s Kinetoscope breakthrough to become Britain’s most successful manufacturer and producer in 1896, the year that film swept the world. After early success with actuality films, he and his wife Ellen opened a studio in North London in 1898 where they produced the first multi-scene dramas, widely shown and imitated. The Anglo-Boer war in South Africa prompted new kinds of film, both documentary and allegorical, while Paul’s studio kept pace with the trick films produced by one of his early customers, Georges Méliès. Paul’s original instrument-making business continued to flourish, and after abandoning film in 1909 in the face of market pressures, he contributed to defence work during World War I, and in his final years played an active part in both science and film history. Despite his many achievements, Paul has remained a shadowy, underestimated figure, now brought to life in this closely researched study that makes the case for him being considered one of cinema’s major pioneers.
-
Front Matter
-
Prelude
-
1
Getting into the Picture Business
-
2
Flashback: An Engineer’s Education
-
3
“Adding Interest to Wonder”: The First Year in Film
-
4
Time Travel: Film, the Past, and Posterity
- 5 “True Till Death!”: Family Business
-
6
Home and Away: Networks of Nonfiction
-
7
Distant Wars: South Africa and Beyond
-
8
Telling Tales: Studio-Based Production
-
9
“Daddy Paul”: The Cultural Economy of Cinema in Britain
-
10
“My Original Business”: Paul’s Technical and Scientific Work
-
11
Paul and Early Film History
-
Epilogue
-
End Matter
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
February 2023 | 2 |
February 2023 | 1 |
March 2023 | 1 |
March 2023 | 1 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 1 |
March 2023 | 1 |
March 2023 | 1 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 3 |
March 2023 | 1 |
March 2023 | 1 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 3 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 6 |
March 2023 | 1 |
March 2023 | 1 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 3 |
April 2023 | 1 |
April 2023 | 1 |
May 2023 | 1 |
August 2023 | 1 |
August 2023 | 1 |
August 2023 | 1 |
August 2023 | 3 |
August 2023 | 1 |
September 2023 | 1 |
November 2023 | 1 |
January 2024 | 1 |
January 2024 | 2 |
January 2024 | 1 |
June 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 2 |
August 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 2 |
August 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 3 |
August 2024 | 5 |
August 2024 | 3 |
August 2024 | 2 |
August 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 2 |
August 2024 | 2 |
August 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 2 |
August 2024 | 2 |
August 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 1 |
September 2024 | 1 |
September 2024 | 1 |
October 2024 | 5 |
October 2024 | 2 |
October 2024 | 8 |
October 2024 | 1 |
October 2024 | 1 |
October 2024 | 3 |
October 2024 | 4 |
October 2024 | 1 |
October 2024 | 10 |
October 2024 | 1 |
October 2024 | 1 |
November 2024 | 1 |
November 2024 | 1 |
January 2025 | 3 |
January 2025 | 1 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.