The very first moving pictures were shown through a projector to a paying audience in France on this day in 1895.
10 short films, each less than a minute in length, were presented by Auguste and Louis Lumiere using the Cinematographe, a combination camera, printer, and projector they had invented. Though previous breakthroughs had allowed individuals to view moving pictures one by one, this was the first time an audience was able to enjoy a film together at the same time.
Today, we’ve chosen three books about films and film makers to celebrate the Lumiere brothers’ contribution to the invention of cinema.
