The Historic Disappearance of Louis Le Prince
BuzzFeed Unsolved Network・21 minutes read
Louis Le Prince, a pioneer in moving pictures, mysteriously disappeared in 1890 while on his way to retrieve his film devices, sparking theories of abduction or murder involving Thomas Edison, hindering recognition of his groundbreaking inventions. Despite his significant contributions, including inventing the single-lens camera, Louis's legacy was overshadowed by the patent wars, leaving his disappearance and legacy as an unresolved and tragic mystery in the history of cinema.
Insights
- Louis Le Prince, a pioneer in moving pictures, mysteriously disappeared in 1890, sparking theories of abduction or foul play by Edison's associates, hindering his rightful recognition in film history.
- Despite his significant contributions to cinema technology, including inventing the single-lens camera, Louis Le Prince's legacy was overshadowed by legal battles with Edison, leading to his son's unsuccessful attempts to prove his father's inventions, culminating in a tragic end for the Le Prince family.
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Recent questions
Who is Louis Le Prince?
A French inventor and pioneer of moving pictures.
What happened to Louis Le Prince?
He disappeared mysteriously in 1890.
What did Louis Le Prince invent?
The single-lens camera for moving pictures.
What impact did Louis Le Prince have on the film industry?
He is considered the true father of moving pictures.
What is the significance of Louis Le Prince's disappearance?
It remains a tragic mystery in film history.
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Summary
00:00
Mystery of Louis Le Prince's Disappearance
- Louis Le Prince disappeared on September 16th, 1890, while boarding a train, never to be seen again.
- Louis Le Prince, a Frenchman, was born on August 28th, 1841, and was a student of art, chemistry, and physics.
- Louis Le Prince moved to Leeds, England, in 1866 to work at a brass foundry and later married Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Whitley in 1869.
- In 1881, Louis and his family moved to New York, where he managed artists painting panoramic landscapes, inspiring him to create moving pictures.
- Louis began working on moving pictures in 1885, inventing a camera with 16 lenses and later a single-lens camera.
- Louis's single-lens camera, built in 1888, weighed 40 pounds, was made of mahogany, and used celluloid for shooting and projection.
- Louis projected his moving pictures in Paris on March 30th, 1890, before planning to return to New York for a public demonstration.
- Louis disappeared with important patent documents on September 16th, 1890, while on his way to retrieve his film devices in Leeds.
- Louis's wife, Lizzie, was unable to commercialize his invention until 1897 due to missing person regulations, while Edison displayed his films earlier.
- A theory suggests Louis was abducted or killed by men working for Thomas Edison, who may have wanted to stop Louis's invention from reaching the public.
12:38
Edison's Patent Wars: Louis Le Prince Mystery
- Edison made a significant portion of his money through suing people, notably suing American Mutoscope and Biograph Company in 1898 for patent infringement on his kinetoscope motion picture camera patent.
- Louis Le Prince's son, Adolphe, took a year off from Columbia to gather evidence proving his father invented the motion picture camera, not Edison, as claimed.
- Adolphe's evidence during the trial included his grandmother's death certificate, dated prior to the films in question, but the focus on Louis's US patent, lacking specifications for the single-lens camera, proved detrimental.
- Adolphe's testimony initially favored Edison in the trial, leading to the start of the famed patent wars and Louis Le Prince being forgotten once again.
- Adolphe was found dead in 1901, three years after testifying, with suspicions of murder or suicide surrounding his death.
- Theories regarding Edison's involvement in Louis Le Prince's disappearance or Adolphe's death lack evidence, with doubts raised by Louis's descendants and authors.
- Albert Le Prince, Louis's brother, was suspected of involvement in Louis's disappearance due to financial motives, but evidence supporting this theory is lacking.
- Louis Le Prince's great nephew theorized that Louis, in debt and dissatisfied with his projector's quality, may have intentionally disappeared rather than face failure.
- Louis's assistant and a documentary producer believed Louis would have gained success and recognition in the film industry, had he not disappeared.
- The reasons behind Louis Le Prince's disappearance and the failure to showcase his inventions in New York remain a tragic mystery, with speculations ranging from financial motives to dissatisfaction with his work.
24:06
Le Prince: True Father of Moving Pictures
- Louis Le Prince is considered the true father of moving pictures, with his disappearance remaining unsolved, despite other creators like the Lumiere Brothers and Edison being involved in the development of the motion picture camera.
