Robert W. Paul
Encyclopedia
Robert W. Paul was a British
electrician, scientific instrument maker and early pioneer of British film.
, London
, and began his technical career learning instrument-making skills at the Elliott Brothers
, a firm of London instrument makers founded in 1804, followed by the Bell Telephone Company
in Antwerp. In 1891, he established an instrument-making company, Robert W. Paul Instrument Company, initially with a workshop at 44 Hatton Garden
, London, later his office.
In 1894, he was approached by two Greek businessmen who wanted him to make copies of an Edison Kinetoscope
that they had purchased. He at first refused, then found to his amazement that Edison had not patented the invention in Britain. Subsequently, Paul himself would go on to purchase a Kinetoscope, intent on taking it apart and re-creating an English-based version. He manufactured a number of these, one of which was supplied to Georges Méliès
.
However, the only films available were 'bootleg' copies of those produced for the Edison machines. As Edison had patented his camera (the details of which were a closely guarded secret), Paul resolved to solve this bottleneck by creating his own camera. He was introduced to
Birt Acres
, a photographic expert, who had invented a device to move film as part of the developing process. Paul thought that Acre's principle could be used in a camera. This camera, dubbed the Paul-Acres Camera, invented in March 1895, would be the first camera made in England.
, and the success of this inspired him to contemplate the possibilities of projecting a moving image on to a screen, something that Edison had never considered. And while Paul and Birt Acres would share innovator status for England's first camera, soon after conception both men would dissolve the partnership and become competitors in the film camera and projector
markets.
Acres would present his projector, England's first, on January 14, 1896. Paul would present his own, the more influential Theatrograph shortly after on February 20. Ironically this is exactly the same day the Lumieres' films would first be projected in London.
In 1896, he pioneered in the UK a system of projecting motion pictures onto a screen, using a self-developed ‘Maltese cross
’ system. This coincided with the advent of the projection system devised by the Lumiere Brothers. After some demonstrations before scientific groups, he was asked to supply a projector and staff to the Alhambra Music Hall
in Leicester Square
, and he presented his first theatrical programme on 25 March 1896. This included films featuring cartoonist Tom Merry
drawing caricatures of the German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II (1895), and Prince Bismarck (1895). Merry had previously performed his lightning-fast drawing as part of a music hall stage act. (The Lumieres were appearing on the bill at the Empire Music Hall, nearby.) The use of his 'Theatrograph' in music halls up and down the country popularised early cinema in Britain. There were many showmen who wished to imitate Paul's success, and some of these wanted to make their own films of 'local interest'. It was necessary to set up a completely separate manufacturing department producing cameras, projectors, and cinema equipment, with its own office and showroom.
Paul would also continue his innovations in the portable camera field. His 'Cinematograph Camera No. 1', built in April 1896, would be the first camera to feature reverse-cranking. This mechanism allowed for the same film footage to be exposed several times. The ability to create super-positions and multiple exposure
s would be of great significance. This technique was used in Paul's 1901 film Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost
, the oldest known film adaptation of Charles Dickens
' A Christmas Carol
. It is noted that the first camera that George Melies would use was built by R.W. Paul.
In 1898 he designed and constructed Britain's first film studio in Muswell Hill
, north London.
. Paul’s instruments were internationally renowned: he won gold medals at the St Louis Exposition in 1904 and the Brussels Exhibition
in 1910, among others. Upon the outbreak of World War I
, he began producing military
instruments including early wireless telegraphy
sets, and instruments for submarine
warfare. In December 1919, the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company
took over the smaller but successful Robert W. Paul Instrument Company and became The Cambridge and Paul Instrument Company Ltd. The name was shortened to the Cambridge Instrument Co Ltd in 1924 when it was converted to a public company.
Paul continued to make his own films, selling them either directly or through the new distribution companies that were springing up. He was a very innovate director and cameraman, pioneering techniques such as the close up
and cutting from one scene to another.
However, his growing business interests crowded out film, and he moved out of the infant industry as early as 1910. Nevertheless, his importance was always recognized by contemporaries, who often referred to him as 'Daddy Paul'.
Coincidentally and without prior knowledge of the above, in 1994 a technology company called Kinetic took over the building at 44 Hatton Garden and renamed it Kinetic House. In 1999, the British film industry commemorated the work of Paul by erecting a commemorative plaque (image to follow) on the building attended by members of the film industry, unions and Lord Samuelson.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
electrician, scientific instrument maker and early pioneer of British film.
Early career
He was born in HighburyHighbury
- Early Highbury :The area now known as Islington was part of the larger manor of Tolentone, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Tolentone was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Road. The manor house was situated by what is now...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and began his technical career learning instrument-making skills at the Elliott Brothers
Elliott Brothers (computer company)
-Elliott Brothers Ltd:Elliott Brothers Ltd was an early computer company of the 1950s–60s in the United Kingdom, tracing its descent from a firm of instrument makers founded by William Elliott in London around 1804. The research laboratories were based at Borehamwood, originally set up in...
, a firm of London instrument makers founded in 1804, followed by the Bell Telephone Company
Bell Telephone Company
The Bell Telephone Company, a common law joint stock company, was organized in Boston, Massachusetts on July 9, 1877 by Alexander Graham Bell's father-in-law Gardiner Greene Hubbard, who also helped organize a sister company — the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company...
in Antwerp. In 1891, he established an instrument-making company, Robert W. Paul Instrument Company, initially with a workshop at 44 Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden is a street and area near Holborn in London, England. It is most famous for being London’s jewellery quarter and centre of the UK diamond trade, but the area is also now home to a diverse range of media and creative businesses....
, London, later his office.
In 1894, he was approached by two Greek businessmen who wanted him to make copies of an Edison Kinetoscope
Kinetoscope
The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device. Though not a movie projector—it was designed for films to be viewed individually through the window of a cabinet housing its components—the Kinetoscope introduced the basic approach that would become the standard for all cinematic...
that they had purchased. He at first refused, then found to his amazement that Edison had not patented the invention in Britain. Subsequently, Paul himself would go on to purchase a Kinetoscope, intent on taking it apart and re-creating an English-based version. He manufactured a number of these, one of which was supplied to Georges Méliès
Georges Méliès
Georges Méliès , full name Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès, was a French filmmaker famous for leading many technical and narrative developments in the earliest cinema. He was very innovative in the use of special effects...
.
However, the only films available were 'bootleg' copies of those produced for the Edison machines. As Edison had patented his camera (the details of which were a closely guarded secret), Paul resolved to solve this bottleneck by creating his own camera. He was introduced to
Birt Acres
Birt Acres
Birt Acres was a photographer and film pioneer.Born in Richmond, Virginia to English parents, he invented the first British 35 mm moving picture camera, the first daylight loading home movie camera and projector, Birtac, was the first travelling newsreel reporter in international film history and...
, a photographic expert, who had invented a device to move film as part of the developing process. Paul thought that Acre's principle could be used in a camera. This camera, dubbed the Paul-Acres Camera, invented in March 1895, would be the first camera made in England.
Film innovation
R.W. Paul obtained a concession to operate a kinetoscope parlour at the Earls Court Exhibition CentreEarls Court Exhibition Centre
The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre, conference and event venue located in west London, United Kingdom in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . It is the largest exhibition venue in central London. It is served by two underground stations, Earl's Court and West...
, and the success of this inspired him to contemplate the possibilities of projecting a moving image on to a screen, something that Edison had never considered. And while Paul and Birt Acres would share innovator status for England's first camera, soon after conception both men would dissolve the partnership and become competitors in the film camera and projector
Movie projector
A movie projector is an opto-mechanical device for displaying moving pictures by projecting them on a projection screen. Most of the optical and mechanical elements, except for the illumination and sound devices, are present in movie cameras.-Physiology:...
markets.
Acres would present his projector, England's first, on January 14, 1896. Paul would present his own, the more influential Theatrograph shortly after on February 20. Ironically this is exactly the same day the Lumieres' films would first be projected in London.
In 1896, he pioneered in the UK a system of projecting motion pictures onto a screen, using a self-developed ‘Maltese cross
Maltese cross
The Maltese cross, also known as the Amalfi cross, is identified as the symbol of an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta and through them came to be identified with the Mediterranean island of Malta and is one of the National symbols of Malta...
’ system. This coincided with the advent of the projection system devised by the Lumiere Brothers. After some demonstrations before scientific groups, he was asked to supply a projector and staff to the Alhambra Music Hall
Alhambra Theatre
The Alhambra was a popular theatre and music hall located on the east side of Leicester Square, in the West End of London. It was built originally as The Royal Panopticon of Science and Arts opening on 18 March 1854. It was closed after two years and reopened as the Alhambra. The building was...
in Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
, and he presented his first theatrical programme on 25 March 1896. This included films featuring cartoonist Tom Merry
William Mecham
William Mecham was a British cartoonist and performer, taking the stage and pen name Tom Merry.He was a professional caricaturist who gave 'Lightning Cartoon' presentations on the music hall stage, and was the first celebrity of any kind to appear in a British film.-Cartoonist:William Mecham was...
drawing caricatures of the German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II (1895), and Prince Bismarck (1895). Merry had previously performed his lightning-fast drawing as part of a music hall stage act. (The Lumieres were appearing on the bill at the Empire Music Hall, nearby.) The use of his 'Theatrograph' in music halls up and down the country popularised early cinema in Britain. There were many showmen who wished to imitate Paul's success, and some of these wanted to make their own films of 'local interest'. It was necessary to set up a completely separate manufacturing department producing cameras, projectors, and cinema equipment, with its own office and showroom.
Paul would also continue his innovations in the portable camera field. His 'Cinematograph Camera No. 1', built in April 1896, would be the first camera to feature reverse-cranking. This mechanism allowed for the same film footage to be exposed several times. The ability to create super-positions and multiple exposure
Multiple exposure
In photography, a multiple exposure is the superimposition of two or more individual exposures to create a single photograph. The exposure values may or may not be identical to each other.-Overview:...
s would be of great significance. This technique was used in Paul's 1901 film Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost
Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost
Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost is a 1901 British short silent drama film, directed by Walter R. Booth, featuring the miserly Ebeneezer Scrooge confronted by Marley's ghost and given by visions of Christmas Past, Present and Future, which is the oldest known film adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843...
, the oldest known film adaptation of Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
' A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
. It is noted that the first camera that George Melies would use was built by R.W. Paul.
In 1898 he designed and constructed Britain's first film studio in Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :The...
, north London.
Extended career
In the meantime, he continued with his original business, focusing on his internationally renowned Unipivot galvanometerGalvanometer
A galvanometer is a type of ammeter: an instrument for detecting and measuring electric current. It is an analog electromechanical transducer that produces a rotary deflection of some type of pointer in response to electric current flowing through its coil in a magnetic field. .Galvanometers were...
. Paul’s instruments were internationally renowned: he won gold medals at the St Louis Exposition in 1904 and the Brussels Exhibition
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in 1910, among others. Upon the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he began producing military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
instruments including early wireless telegraphy
Wireless telegraphy
Wireless telegraphy is a historical term used today to apply to early radio telegraph communications techniques and practices, particularly those used during the first three decades of radio before the term radio came into use....
sets, and instruments for submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
warfare. In December 1919, the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company
Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company
Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company was a company founded in 1881 by Horace Darwin and Albert George Dew-Smith to manufacture scientific instruments....
took over the smaller but successful Robert W. Paul Instrument Company and became The Cambridge and Paul Instrument Company Ltd. The name was shortened to the Cambridge Instrument Co Ltd in 1924 when it was converted to a public company.
Paul continued to make his own films, selling them either directly or through the new distribution companies that were springing up. He was a very innovate director and cameraman, pioneering techniques such as the close up
Close up
A close-up is tightly framed image of a person or an object.Close-Up or Close Up may refer to:- Film and television :*Close Up, two different New Zealand current affairs programmes...
and cutting from one scene to another.
However, his growing business interests crowded out film, and he moved out of the infant industry as early as 1910. Nevertheless, his importance was always recognized by contemporaries, who often referred to him as 'Daddy Paul'.
Coincidentally and without prior knowledge of the above, in 1994 a technology company called Kinetic took over the building at 44 Hatton Garden and renamed it Kinetic House. In 1999, the British film industry commemorated the work of Paul by erecting a commemorative plaque (image to follow) on the building attended by members of the film industry, unions and Lord Samuelson.
Filmography
- The DerbyThe Derby (1895 film)The Derby is an 1895 British short black-and-white silent documentary film, produced and directed by Birt Acres for exhibition on Robert W. Paul's peep show Kinetoscopes, featuring the end of the May 29 1895 Epsom Derby viewed from a raised position close to the finishing line with the main stand...
(1895) - FootpadsFootpadsFootpads is an 1896 British short silent drama film, directed by Robert W. Paul, featuring top-hatted pedestrians against a rainy London backdrop, who is assaulted by three footpads and rescued by a passing policeman...
(1895) - The Oxford and Cambridge University Boat RaceThe Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race (1895 film)The Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race is an 1895 British short black-and-white silent documentary film directed and produced by Birt Acres...
(1895) - Rough Sea at DoverRough Sea at DoverRough Sea at Dover is an 1895 British short black-and-white silent documentary film directed and produced by Birt Acres and Robert W. Paul....
(1895) - Blackfriars BridgeBlackfriars Bridge (film)Blackfriars Bridge is an 1896 British short black-and-white silent actuality film, directed by Robert W. Paul, featuring top-hatted pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages passing over Blackfriars Bridge, London. The film was, according to Michael Brooke of BFI Screenonline, "taken from the...
(1896) - Comic Costume RaceComic Costume RaceComic Costume Race is an 1896 British short black-and-white silent actuality film, directed by Robert W. Paul, featuring comic costume scramble at the Music Hall Sports on 14 July, 1896 at Herne Hill, London...
(1896) - A Sea Cave Near LisbonA Sea Cave Near LisbonA Sea Cave Near Lisbon is an 1896 British short silent actuality film, directed by Henry Short, featuring a view looking out to sea through the Bocca d'Inferno cave near Lisbon, with waves breaking in...
(1896) - The Soldier's Courtship (1896)
- The Twins' Tea PartyThe Twins' Tea PartyThe Twins' Tea Party is an 1896 British short silent actuality film, produced and directed by Robert W. Paul, featuring twin girls squabbling over a piece of cake at a tea party...
(1896) - Two A.M.; or, the Husband's ReturnTwo A.M.; or, the Husband's ReturnTwo A.M.; or, the Husband's Return is an 1896 British short silent comedy film, produced by Robert W. Paul, featuring a drunken husband returning home late at night to the irritation of his wife...
(1896) - RobberyRobbery (1897 film)Robbery is an 1897 British short black-and-white silent comedy film directed by Robert W. Paul, featuring a wayfairer who is forced to handover his valuables and some of his clothes to an armed robber...
(1897) - Come Along, Do!Come Along, Do!Come Along, Do! is an 1898 British short silent comedy film, produced and directed by Robert W. Paul, featuring an elderly man at an art gallery taking a great interest in a nude statue to the irritation of his wife. The film which, "sadly only survives as a fragment today," was according to...
(1898) - A Switchback RailwayA Switchback RailwayA Switchback Railway is an 1898 British short black-and-white silent actuality film, directed by Robert W. Paul, featuring patrons riding on a switchback railway at a fairground...
(1898) - Tommy Atkins in the ParkTommy Atkins in the ParkTommy Atkins in the Park is an 1898 British short black-and-white silent comedy film, directed by Robert W. Paul, featuring couple courting in a park who are forced to use desperate measures to get rid of a stout matron who interrupts them. The film was a remake of Alfred Moul's The Soldier's...
(1898) - The Miser's Doom (1899)
- Upside Down; or, the Human FliesUpside Down; or, the Human FliesUpside Down; or, the Human Flies is an 1899 British short silent drama film, directed by Walter R. Booth, featuring a conjuror sending his audience to the ceiling...
(1899) - Army Life; or, How Soldiers Are Made (1900)
- Chinese Magic (1900)
- Hindoo Jugglers (1900)
- A Railway CollisionA Railway CollisionA Railway Collision is a 1900 British short silent drama film, directed by Walter R. Booth, featuring an express train crashing into a goods train and plunging down an embankment...
(1900) - Artistic CreationArtistic CreationArtistic Creation is a 1901 British short silent comedy film, directed by Walter R. Booth, featuring a lightning sketch artist drawing a picture of a woman which comes to life piece by piece...
(1901) - Cheese Mites; or, Lilliputians in a London Restaurant (1901)
- The Countryman and the CinematographThe Countryman and the CinematographThe Countryman and the Cinematograph is a 1901 British short silent comedy film, directed by Robert W. Paul, featuring a stereotypical yokel reacting to films projected onto a creen...
(1901) - The Devil in the Studio (1901)
- The Haunted Curiosity ShopThe Haunted Curiosity ShopThe Haunted Curiosity Shop is a 1901 British short silent horror film, directed by Walter R. Booth, featuring an elderly curio dealer alarmed by various apparitions that appear in his shop. The film, "was clearly devised purely as a showcase for Booth and Paul's bag of tricks," and according to...
(1901) - The Magic SwordThe Magic Sword (1901 film)The Magic Sword; or, A Medieval Mystery is a 1901 British short silent fantasy film, directed by Walter R. Booth, featuring a mediaeval knight battling to save a damsel from an ogre and a witch...
(1901) - An Over-Incubated BabyAn Over-Incubated BabyAn Over-Incubated Baby is a 1901 British short silent comedy film, directed by Walter R. Booth, featuring a woman who gets an unpleasant surprise after placing her baby in Professor Bakem's baby incubator for 12 months growth in one hour. The film is, "one of the most original of the trick films...
(1901) - Scrooge, or, Marley's GhostScrooge, or, Marley's GhostScrooge, or, Marley's Ghost is a 1901 British short silent drama film, directed by Walter R. Booth, featuring the miserly Ebeneezer Scrooge confronted by Marley's ghost and given by visions of Christmas Past, Present and Future, which is the oldest known film adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843...
(1901) - Undressing ExtraordinaryUndressing ExtraordinaryUndressing Extraordinary is a 1901 British short silent comedy film, directed by Walter R. Booth, featuring a tired traveller struggling to undresse for bed...
(1901) - The Waif and the WizardThe Waif and the WizardThe Waif and the Wizard is a 1901 British short silent comedy film, directed by Walter R. Booth, featuring a magician using his magic to aid an ailing girl at the request of her brother. The film, "is rather less elaborate in terms of special effects than the other films that W.R. Booth and R.W...
(1901) - The Extraordinary WaiterThe Extraordinary WaiterThe Extraordinary Waiter is a 1902 British short silent comedy film, directed by Walter R. Booth, featuring a brutish colonialist failing to destroy a blackfaced waiter...
(1902) - A Chess DisputeA Chess DisputeA Chess Dispute is an 1903 British short black-and-white silent comedy film, directed by Robert W. Paul, featuring two gentlemen in a comedic fight following a disputed chess move. It is included on the BFI DVD R.W. Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908....
(1903) - Extraordinary Cab Accident (1903)
- The Voyage of the Arctic (1903)
- The Unfortunate PolicemanThe Unfortunate PolicemanThe Unfortunate Policeman is a 1905 British short silent drama film, produced by Robert W. Paul, featuring a policeman chasing a young painter after he tips a pot of paint over him. The film is an, "elaborate chase comedy," which according to Michael Brooke of BFI Screenonline, "is an example of...
(1905) - The '?' MotoristThe '?' MotoristThe '?' Motorist is a 1906 British short silent comedy film, directed by Walter R. Booth, featuring a motorist driving around the rings of Saturn to escape the police. The trick film is, "one of the last films that W.R. Booth made for the producer-inventor R.W...
(1906) - Is Spiritualism A Fraud?Is Spiritualism a Fraud?Is Spiritualism a Fraud? is a 1906 British short silent drama film, directed by Walter R. Booth , featuring a medium exposed as a fake during a séance. The trick film is, "one of the last films made by R.W. Paul in collaboration with the trick-film specialist W.R...
(1906)
External links
- Robert William Paul (Who's Who of Victorian Cinema)