Career of L. A. A. Le Prince

In November, 1886, Le Prince, an inventor and scientist living in New York, N. Y., applied for a U. S. patent covering a photographic camera which would expose successively a number of images of the same object or objects in motion and reproduce the same in the order of taking. Although the patent granted him on January 10, 1888 (U. S. Pat. 376,247), described a camera having sixteen lenses, it is shown that the original application specified “one or more lenses.” His British patent No. 423, accepted Nov. 16, 1888, provided for both a camera and projector with one lens as well as multiple lenses. Most of Le Prince's important work was done in England and France from 1887 to 1890 with a single-lens camera, at least two of which were built and used. Descriptions are included of these cameras as well as a multiple lens camera. Evidence is introduced concerning the design of the cameras, such as the use of the Maltese cross intermittent movement, and of the building of and demonstrations with a projector.

Print ISSN

0097-5834

Published

1931-07

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J08031