Living Pictures - Timeline
A look at the development of Living Pictures, Phonographs and Magic Lanterns reveals that a great deal was taking place between 1895 and 1902 with Cecil Wray, Richard James Appleton and The Riley Brothers getting involved in the invention and production of new devices, demonstrating these through lectures and offering a hire service.. Joseph Oulton a clockmaker who was also an occupant in the Old Borough Corn Mill at the same location as Cecil Wray, he had helped Wray and later Appleton with designs and together they patented these.
Willie Riley recalls in his autobiography 'Sunset Reflections' how as a boy he operated lanterns for his father who started to give lectures/presentations to local schools and societies on a Saturday afternoon, in order to raise money for an Orphanage. In fact this started when his father had given Willie and his brother Herbert a lantern, but it didn't take long for his father to see the potential of this device. The demand for the Magic Lantern slide presentations grew and a hire business was established. They bought in the slides and Willie took on the task of colouring them. This made their Illustrated Lantern Lectures very attractive and before long orders came flooding in from all over the country, and so the business developed and grew.
Year
1895
1896
1897
1898
1899
1901
1902
1903
Cecil Wray
2nd Jan 1895
Patent No.182
Improvements in or relating to the Kinetoscope.
Cecil Wray of Finsbury Drive late of 6 Cornwall Terrace, Bradford. Electrical Engineer.
29th August 1896
Patent No.19,181
Improvements in Apparatus for Exhibiting Kinetoscopic and Zoetropic Pictures.
Cecil Wray Electrical Engineer of 2 Southbrook Terrace, Bradford
7th December.
Bradford Photographic Society shown display of Animated pictures on the Kinetoscope by Cecil Wray including the arrival of a train, the morning bath, Niagara falls, the carnival dance from the "Gaiety Girl", the death scene from the "Trilby" burlesque, eating lemons for a wager &c. Brad Daily Telegraph 9th Dec.
Partnership between Baxter and Wray formed.
5th May 1897
Patent No.11,273
Improvements in Apparatus or taking and Exhibiting Kinetoscope Films and Animated Photographs
Cecil William Baxter and Cecil Wray of the firm Baxter & Wray, Borough Mills, Manchester Road, Bradford and Joseph Oulton of 8 Hill Side Terrace, Clock Maker
April/May First version of B & W Cinematograph produced.
July. Second version produced in association with J Oulton. 'Perfection Cinematograph'
March 1898
Cecil Wray puts on Dioramic Lecture in Sedburgh on Dr Nansen's search for the Pole. Cecil W Baxter in the chair. He also shows a number of Animated Pictures on Queen's Jubilee Procession.
Second version of Perfection Cinematograph produced.
June 1898 Partnership between Baxter and Wray wound up.
11th June 1898
Patent No. 13,162
Improvements in the film Operating Mechanism of Apparatus for Taking, Printing, and Exhibiting Series of Photographs.
2nd February advertising Edison Bell Phonograph for wholesale and retail, Cecil Wray & Co. Borough Mills, Manchester Road.
Joseph Oulton
1892 Joseph Oulton, Clockmaker occupying third floor of Borough Corn Mill, Manchester Road. A fire started in his unit also destroyed the unit of
14th April 1896
Patent No 7,817
Improvements in apparatus for taking and exhibiting series of photographs.
J Oulton, W Shaw, R H Adams
5th May 1897
Patent No.11,273
Improvements in Apparatus or taking and Exhibiting Kinetoscope Films and Animated Photographs
Cecil William Baxter and Cecil Wray of the firm Baxter & Wray, Borough Mills, Manchester Road, Bradford and of Joseph Oulton of 8 Hill Side Terrace, Clock Maker
March 1902 Richard James Appleton and Joseph Oulton apply for Patent relating to switches for electric motors.
Richard James Appleton
November 1896 A new Bradford patent was exhibited at the Scientific Association Conversazione. Messrs Appleton showed their wonderful Cieroscope for the projection of animated photographs. Brad Daily Telegraph 30th Nov.
December 1896
Richard James Appleton gives series of lectures at The Mechanics Institute illustrating the powers of the Cieroscope.
10th Dec
R H White of 18 Park Row Leeds advertising Appleton's Cieroscope for hire at Bazaars and Parties.
Late December Cieroscope demonstration at United Methodist Free Church Bazaar in Laisterdyke, Bradford.
22nd June 1897
Richard James Appleton films Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Celebration and shows the film to thousands of people on the very same night in Bradford, by means of the Cieroscope.
Riley Brothers
October 1894 Advertising. Riley Brothers the largest and best magic lantern outfitters in the world. Their marvellous Praestantia Lantern is the brightest and best ever offered. Loan slide department.
Rileys manufacturing Kinetoscope based upon Cecil Wray's patent design.
January. New version of Kineoptoscope produced by Rileys. Two versions of this available.
June. Riley introduced Kineoptoscope Camera using Wray's patent 19181
November 1898 Advertisement.
Riley Brothers Ltd. makers of the simplest and Best Cinematograph. Films include Highland dances, March past of The Black Watch, Gardeners watering plants, Fun in the harvest field, Weary Willie in the park. Skipping Rope contests etc.
September 1902
Advertising Mr W Riley's high Class Lectures. with combined Cinematograph and Lantern Views. Competent operators sent to all parts of Yorkshire and the North. 100,000 slides to select from.
Feb 1899 Cecil Wray puts on a lecture in Langham on the Phonograph and Cinematograph.
Cecil Wray & Co formed December
July 1901
Cecil Wray & Co. Winding up notice
November 7th and 8th Stock in trade of Cecil Wray & Co sold at auction including. Bi-unial triple drawer magic lanterns, Russian Lantern Bodies, Penny-in-slot Cinographs, Calloscopes, Monoscopes, Penny-in-slot Phonographs, Edison Bell electric Ditto, and Gramophones.
June 1903 Partnership between Cecil Wray and John Henry Ashworth, Electrical and electrical Engineers dissolved.
1902 Telephone Directory shows R J Appleton & Co, Photographic Lantern Outfitters at Borough Mills
March 1902 Richard James Appleton and Joseph Oulton apply for Patent relating to switches for electric motors.
1909 a number of designs patented in relation to Talking Machines/Phonographs