My name is Paul Burns.

I am an amateur film historian, researcher, author and a former professional journalist and photographer living in Canada. I have never worked in film. I have never taught film or it’s history and have never lectured. I have only researched pre cinema for thirty-five years (as of 2025) and have given talks on pre cinema at local schools and the PHSC. I am an autodidact to be sure. I have been a member of;

🎞️ The Photographic Historical Society of Canada
🎞️ The Magic Lantern Society Of The United States And Canada
🎞️The International Directory of Photography Historians (Arkansas State University)

Bob Lansdale Photo

Through my work presented in this web site I hope to provide a substantial glimpse into the past history and discovery, of the marriage of photography, light and shadow, optics and lenses, and celluloid, into movement known as cinematography.

I have worked in all mediums of print, radio and television and have been studying extensively, the history of film since 1990, from its earliest beginnings and have written many articles and commentaries on pre cinema history. The illusionary art of moving pictures has a vast history attached to it and it’s my intention to provide that full history to all who desire to know.

Contrary to the period that most historians and authors deal with which is the year 1850 forward, I cover the entire period of pre cinema. Simply put, pre cinema began when God said “let there be light” and that’s where I begin.

Commencing with the discovery of the pinhole image, THE HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF CINEMATOGRAPHY presents a chronological exposé of the medium culminating with the advent of moving pictures in the late 19th century.

I welcome comments and critiques from viewers of this web site. Email me at hotdoc@precinemahistory.com

– Paul

All written material in this web site is Copyright © 1990 – 2025. This is an academic work and can be copied and used for educational purposes only, with source citation. No commercial use please. Copyright.

WelcomeAboutIntroductionChapter One beginning of time – 999 AD
Chapter Two 1000 AD – 1399Chapter Three 1400 – 1599Chapter Four 1600 – 1649Chapter Five 1650 – 1699
Chapter Six 1700 – 1749Chapter Seven 1750 – 1799Chapter Eight 1800 – 1819Chapter Nine 1820 – 1829
Chapter Ten 1830 – 1839Chapter Eleven 1840 – 1849Chapter Twelve 1850 – 1859Chapter Thirteen 1860 – 1869
Chapter Fourteen 1870 – 1879Chapter Fifteen 1880 – 1884Chapter Sixteen 1885 – 1889Chapter Seventeen 1890 – 1894
Chapter Eighteen 1895 – 1899Chapter Nineteen 1900 + post cinemaChapter Twenty 1911 +Copyright
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