Birt Acres facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Birt Acres
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| Born | 23 July 1854 Richmond, Virginia, United States
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| Died | 27 December 1918 (aged 64) Whitechapel, London, England
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Birt Acres (born 23 July 1854 – died 27 December 1918) was an amazing inventor and photographer. He was born in America but also became a British citizen. He helped create the first movies!
Birt Acres made many important things for early films. He built the first working 35 mm camera in Britain. He also invented Birtac, which was the first home movie camera you could load in daylight. It was also a projector! He even directed some of the very first silent films.
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Early Life of Birt Acres
Birt Acres was born in Richmond, Virginia, USA, on 23 July 1854. His parents were English. When he was 14, he became an orphan during the American Civil War. His aunt then raised him.
A Pioneer in Film History
Birt Acres was a true pioneer in the world of movies. He invented the first British 35 mm moving picture camera. This camera was called Birtac. It was special because it was the first home movie camera and projector that could be loaded in daylight.
He was also the first traveling newsreel reporter in film history. This means he went to different places to film important events. His films were the first from Europe to be shown publicly in the United States.
Acres helped a lot with how cinematography works. This includes making cameras, projectors, and even the film itself. He also filmed news events and showed moving pictures to people.
Working with Robert W. Paul
Birt Acres worked with Robert W. Paul to build the first working 35 mm camera in Britain. In March 1895, they made a film called Incident at Clovelly Cottage. This film showed Acres' wife and their baby son outside their home. That house, Clovelly Cottage, still exists today!
However, Acres and Paul had a disagreement. Acres patented their camera design in his own name. This caused their partnership to end.
Early Silent Films
Birt Acres made many early silent films during the Victorian era. In 1895, he filmed the famous Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. He also made fun films like The Arrest of a Pickpocket, The Comic Shoeblack, The Boxing Kangaroo, and Performing Bears.
First Public Film Show
On 10 January 1896, Birt Acres showed his moving pictures to a group in New Barnet. This was the very first public film show for an audience in the United Kingdom!
He was also a member of the Royal Photographic Society. On 14 January 1896, he showed his Kineopticon system in London. This was another important public demonstration of his work.
Birt Acres is buried in Walthamstow, London.
Birt Acres' Key Inventions
Birt Acres invented many things that helped movies grow. Here are some of his most important creations:
- 1895: The Kinetic Camera, which helped create film loops.
- 1895/96: The Electroscope, a device for many people to watch 35mm film at once.
- 1896: The Kineopticon, an improved machine for showing 35 mm films.
- 1898: The Birtac, a home movie camera for 17.5 mm film that loaded in daylight.
Images for kids
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Frames from Incident at Clovelly Cottage, 1895.
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Clovelly Cottage, 19 Park Road, Chipping Barnet.
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Birt Acres' Kinetic Camera, 1895.
