Edison Files Patent for Motion Picture Viewer (1891)
On August 24, 1891, world-renowned inventor Thomas Edison filed a patent for the motion picture viewer. In particular, Edison filed three patents for (i) the Kinetoscope, i.e. the viewer for the camera, (ii) the Kinetographic, i.e. the camera, and (iii) another for the camera.
The idea of creating an apparatus to view moving images for entertainment was not a new one in the late 1890s. In fact, numerous other devices had been invented to view images including a device called the "magic lantern" which used glass slides of images that were projected. However, no one had discovered an invention that seamlessly took still pictures and gave them motion in a practical and cost-effective way.
In late 1888, Edison filed a caveat, i.e. a notice, with the Patent Office to protect future devices associated with his eventual motion picture viewer. Edison described his new idea for a motion picture viewer as a device that would "do for the eye what the phonograph does for the ear" and record and reproduce objects in motion. Edison named his invention the Kinetoscope, based on the Greek words kineto meaning "movement," and scopos meaning "to watch." Edison patented the width of the film for his new invention at 35 millimeters.
On May 20, 1891, the first public demonstration of Edison’s prototype Kinetoscope was displayed at his laboratory for approximately 150 members of the National Federation of Women's Clubs. The newspaper, the New York Sun, described the invention as a "small pine box" and mentioned what the women saw as follows:
In the top of the box was a hole perhaps an inch in diameter. As they looked through the hole they saw the picture of a man. It was a most marvelous picture. It bowed and smiled and waved its hands and took off its hat with the most perfect naturalness and grace.
The Kinetoscope, though not a movie projector, laid the foundation for all cinematic movies. It created the illusion of movement by quickly rotating a strip of perforated film with sequential images over a light source at a very high shutter speed. In April 1894, the first commercial exhibition of Edison’s Kinetoscope was demonstrated in New York City.
INTERESTING NOTE: Edison executed the first of his 1,093 successful U.S. patent applications on 13 October 1868, at the age of 21. He filed an estimated 500–600 unsuccessful or abandoned applications as well. In 1882, at the height of his work on electric light and power, he completed 106 successful applications. Or around 1 patent every 3 ½ days!!