The Shadow Traps
In October 1888, the French inventor Louis Le Prince shot what many people now believe to be the world’s first films. On the 16th September 1890, and just before he was due to sail to New York to demonstrate his films in public for the first time, Le Prince boarded the Dijon to Paris train and was never seen again. Brought to you by Buzzsprout and Open Space Books, The Shadow Traps podcasts will tell the story of Le Prince, his life, his films and his mysterious disappearance. It is a mystery story, an exploration of invention and obsession and a love letter to film. To find out more and support this podcast, go to www.patreon.com/theshadowtraps
The Shadow Traps
Episode 6. The Collector
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What is a motion picture camera? And how could the film pioneers know what film might mean to the world?
Le Prince, back in Leeds, but weakened by his time in Paris during the Siege, is persuaded to withdraw from Whitley Partners and start an art school with Lizzie. The school is a great success and work from it is exhibited in many conversaziones for societies such as the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society.
The episode will look at Le Prince's life during the 1870's and explore how it might have come to shape his later ideas on what film might mean to society.
The episode will suggest that Le Prince, the film maker, would be one of the last great Victorian collectors.