The Birth of Cinema: The Lumière Brothers’ First Public Film Screening

On December 28, 1895, a pivotal moment in the history of cinema took place at the Salon Indien du Grand Café in Paris. This date marks the first commercial public screening of films, orchestrated by the pioneering Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis Lumière. This event is widely regarded as the birth of cinema as a commercial entertainment medium.

Background

The Lumière brothers were French inventors and filmmakers who played a crucial role in the development of early cinema. They were initially involved in the photography business, following in the footsteps of their father, Antoine Lumière. Their interest in moving pictures was sparked by the invention of the kinetoscope by Thomas Edison and William Kennedy Laurie Dickson in the early 1890s. However, the kinetoscope was limited to individual viewing.

In response, the Lumière brothers developed the Cinématographe, a revolutionary device that functioned as a camera, projector, and film printer. Unlike Edison’s kinetoscope, the Cinématographe allowed for the projection of images onto a screen, making it possible for multiple people to view a film simultaneously.

The Screening

The historic screening on December 28, 1895, featured ten short films, each approximately 50 seconds long. Among the films shown were:

• “La Sortie de l’Usine Lumière à Lyon” (Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory): Often considered the first true motion picture, this film depicted workers leaving the Lumière factory in Lyon.
• “Le Déjeuner de Bébé” (Baby’s Lunch): A charming scene of a family feeding their baby.
• “L’Arroseur Arrosé” (The Sprinkler Sprinkled): A comedic short that is one of the earliest examples of film comedy.
• “La Pêche aux Poissons Rouges” (Fishing for Goldfish): A simple domestic scene capturing the innocence of childhood.

The screening took place in the basement of the Grand Café, located on the Boulevard des Capucines in Paris. The event was attended by approximately 30 people, who paid one franc each for admission. The audience was reportedly astonished by the moving images, a novel experience at the time.

Impact and Significance

The success of this screening marked the beginning of the motion picture industry. The Lumière brothers’ films quickly gained popularity, leading to further screenings across Europe and eventually around the world. The Cinématographe became the standard for early film projection, and the brothers’ work laid the foundation for the development of narrative cinema.

The event also inspired other filmmakers and inventors, such as Georges Méliès, who would go on to explore the artistic and narrative potential of film. The Lumière brothers’ contribution to cinema is celebrated annually on December 28, known as “Cinema Day” in honor of their groundbreaking achievement.

In summary, the Lumière brothers’ first public screening on December 28, 1895, was a landmark event that heralded the birth of cinema as a popular form of entertainment, shaping the future of visual storytelling and the global film industry.