Lumière: 130 Years of Cinema

December 28, 1895, the Indian Salon at the Grand Café in Paris. Only 35 people were in attendance, each paying one franc to become part of what would later be recognized as the most famous film screening in the history of cinema. Of course, they had no idea at the time. They simply wanted to see for themselves what this cinematograph and its moving images were all about.

This was not the first screening of Louis and Auguste Lumière’s films. As Jerzy Płażewski wrote in History of Film 1895–2005, the Lumière brothers had already presented their productions eight times before, but always at scientific conferences. However, the screening of their short films at the Grand Café was the first paid film screening in cinema history, which is why it is considered the true beginning of the medium.

This year marks the 130th anniversary of cinema.