The Disappearance of the Father of Cinematography

Supporters of Louis Le Prince claim that the French inventor should be recognized as the genuine "father of cinematography," despite the fact that Thomas Edison and the Lumière brothers are often given credit. According to legend, Le Prince shot the first film in history in Leeds in 1888, but inexplicably vanished before exposing it to the wider public.

It appears that Louis Le Prince was a victim of his own ambition since, at a period when there was a patent race among numerous innovators, he wanted to take his time perfecting his creation. Despite the fact that he made his first film in 1888, he waited two years before deciding it was suitable for its first public showing.

The event was intended to take place in New York in September 1890. Following their mother's death, Le Prince had been staying in Dijon with his brother, Albert. He boarded a train bound for Paris with all of the materials and patents he required for the exhibition, but he never arrived in the French capital. His pals were waiting for him in Paris, but there was no sign of him.

Following his disappearance, several intriguing possibilities emerged, but none were ever proven. According to one account, Albert Le Prince murdered his brother over their inheritance, and Louis never made it onto the train. Others claimed that Le Prince drowned himself or that he vanished on purpose to start a new life somewhere else, but by far the most intriguing theory was that the inventor's disappearance and subsequent death were orchestrated by none other than Thomas Edison, who wanted to maintain his monopoly over this new and revolutionary invention.

Informations about Louis Le Prince:
Born: 28 August 1841Metz, France
Disappeared: September 16, 1890Dijon, France