HOVE MUSEUM & ART GALLERY

Description

In 1997 Hove Museum & Art Gallery purchased the portion of the Barnes Collection relating to the South East. This collection reflects the important role the region played in the birth of the film industry. Local film pioneers George Albert Smith, James Williamson, William Friese-Greene, Esme Collings, Alfred Darling and Charles Urban were individually responsible for technical, artistic and commercial practices which underpin today’s film industry. Editing and colour image reproduction were developed locally and the results were marketed all over Europe and America. The Collection is made up of early apparatus, photographs, programmes, rare publications and other ephemera relating to these pioneers. John and William Barnes began collecting in the 1930s, long before the interest in film history was reflected in universities, museums and heritage centres. They established their own museum in St Ives which became renowned as a resource for film historians world-wide. After its closure the collection was divided into three portions. The portion relating to pre-cinema (lanterns, etc) was sold to a museum in Turin; Hove Museum has the second and the third is still kept by the Barnes Brothers.

Artefact description

The Barnes Collection of moving-image apparatus and ephemera pertaining to the Brighton School of pioneering film-makers. Magic Lantern Collection. Optical Toy Collection

Website

http://www.hove.virtualmuseum.info/

Keywords

Film Equipment; Early cinema; Silent films; Barnes Collection; Barnes, John; Barnes, William; Collings, Esme; Darling, Alfred; Friese-Greene, William; Smith, George Albert; Urban, Charles; Williamson, James

Access

Mon-Fri, 1000-1700, by prior appointment. Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 2-5pm Closed Monday (including public holidays); Good Friday, 23-26 December, 31 December, 1 January

Access for outsiders

Yes, open to all.

Facilities

The Museum does not hold film material. The Collection is object based.

Charges

None, except for photographic costs.

Moving Image, Audio and Related Documentation Holdings

Books

10, relating to early film pioneers.

Equipment

Early film equipment, such as film projectors. 30 approx.

Ephemera

The Barnes Collection archive relating to South East film pioneers.

Journals

Film History

Still Images

300. Mostly portrait photographs and images of early technology. There are also some early lantern slides for the cinema dating from from c.1910-1915, and some other pre-1900 examples.

Artefact and Related Documentation Holdings

Cinema

Objects from cinemas in Brighton and Hove, including seating, posters, tickets machines, murals, photographs, 1912-2004.; Cinema fittings; Cinema plans and architects’ drawings; Projectors; Projection lenses

Documents

The Barnes Collection includes ephemera pertaining to the Brighton School of film-makers.; Catalogues; Correspondence; Personal papers; Posters and promotional artwork; Photographs; Promotional literature; Ephemera

Film-making

The Barnes Collection includes cine cameras made by Alfred Darling, George Albert Smith and James Williamson. These include: Darling’s 42mm Experimental cine camera of 1896, Darling’s Biokam of 1899, distributed by Warwick Trading Co., Darling’s ‘Special Effects’ 35mm cine camera of 1899, GA Smith’s Kinemacolor cine camera of 1910, Williamson’s ‘Ensign’ 35mm cine camera of 1914, Williamson’s 35mm aerial camera of 1917 and Williamson’s ‘tropical’ 35mm cine camera of 1912.; Cine cameras; Camera mounts and accessories

Projection & Viewing

The collections contain: approx. 7000 magic lantern slides, as well as magic lanterns and toy magic lanterns including a Biunial magic lantern, and optical toys and stereoscopes. Mutoscopes include a Parisienne Can-can mutoscope. Early flick books and kinora.; Magic lanterns; Flick books and associated technologies; Peepshows; Slides; Slide projectors; Slide viewers; Other viewers; Stereoviews

Toys & Games

Phenakistisacopes, Thaumatropes, Zoetropes and Kaleidoscopes; Optical toys; Toys

Catalogues

Computerised database

Being developed.
http://www.hove.virtualmuseum.info/

Online catalogue

under development

Printed catalogue

Not yet.

Card catalogue

Yes.

Digitised catalogue

No. Trying to find funding.

Additional Information

Artefact notes

MultiMimsy

Main Contact

Name

Suzie Plumb

Job title

Curator of Toys, Film and Media

Telephone

01273 292831

Fax

01273 292827

Email

Suzanne.Plumb@brighton-hove.gov.uk

Address

19 New Church Road
Hove
BN3 4AB

Alternate Contact

Name

Carrie Wiltshire, Assistant Curator (Toys, Media and Film)

Telephone

01273 290200

Fax

01273 292827