Imagine being able to watch a moving picture — but only through a tiny peephole, and only by yourself. That was the experience offered by the Kinetoscope, one of the earliest motion picture devices ever created. On August 31, 1897, Thomas Edison received a patent for this remarkable invention, which he had developed with assistance from William Dickson.

Fun Facts:

  • Widely recognized as the earliest form of motion pictures, the Kinetoscope was a truly groundbreaking device. It relied on perforated film to display images — a concept that was nothing short of revolutionary for its era.
  • The very first demonstration of a Kinetoscope prototype took place on May 20, 1891, when members of the National Federation of Women's Club gathered at the Edison laboratory on May 20, 1891 to witness the new technology in action.
  • On April 14, 1894, the completed version of the device made its public debut at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences at the Chicago World's Fair.
  • A landmark moment in American cinema history came with the Kinetoscope's first commercial exhibition, which took place in New York. Featuring a set of ten kinetoscopes, this showing played a crucial role in laying the foundation for the movie culture that Americans enjoy today.
  • Edison's choice not to pursue international patents had far-reaching consequences. It allowed the Kinetoscope to enter the European market with remarkable speed, which in turn spurred a wave of global innovations and improvements to the device.
  • The first studio dedicated to Edison's filmmaking efforts was known as the Black Maria. The earliest publicly shown film was Blacksmith Scene, with Dickson directing and Heise handling the camera work.
  • Viewers had to pay 25 cents per ticket to watch — a price that was considered quite steep at the time.
  • The Kinetoscope proved to be an immediate commercial hit. Within just three weeks, Holland's New York parlor had already racked up over $1,400 in monthly receipts, underscoring how quickly the public embraced this new form of entertainment.