May 22
Dear Liza,
We have been in Lyon almost a month now, and finally did the last thing on our “Must See” list. I am so glad we did!
Most folks who are interested in movies have heard of Louis and Auguste Lumière, the brothers who actually invented moving pictures. They were born and raised, and made their fortunes, right here in Lyon, and we got to visit their house.
Besides displaying the turn of the century opulence and style of the family, the museum put the brothers’ work in context with other related inventions by Kodak, Eastman and Disney. Did you know that August Lumière actually met Walt Disney? Walt thanked Monsieur Lumière for his work, which had made Walt’s work and fortune possible.
There were old zoetropes and other pre-movie attempts at showing movement, and even the very first cinematograph, or movie projector.
There were also snippets of the 1,000 short films made in the first ten years of the movie era, all of which were made by the Lumière company.
They sent camera crews all over the world to film the Sphinx in Egypt and Sumo wrestlers in Japan, as well as simpler scenes of children at the park or men playing cards.
The Lumière brothers’ work in the science of film and radiography, color printing and entertainment, were an example of how training, hard work, and an understanding of popular culture can change the world.
Another day well spent in Lyon!
Love,
Grandma Judy
Dear Liza 