In the late 19th century, inventors were rushing to perfect and patent motion picture devices, and leading the race was a Frenchman named Louis Le Prince. In September of 1890 Le Prince said farewell to his brother in Dijon and boarded a train bound for Paris. His final destination would be the United States, where he planned to unveil his movie camera and projector to the world. Unfortunately he was never seen again.
There are many theories regarding Le Prince’s disappearance. Did he run away with a mistress, or was he murdered? If murdered, then by who? Was it his brother, whom he shared an inheritance with? Was it a stranger in a dark Paris alley? Or was Thomas Edison behind it, the famed American inventor who announced the creation of his own motion picture camera just months after Le Prince disappeared?
My guest is Paul Fischer, author of “The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures: A True Tale of Obsession, Murder, and the Movies”. He tells the story of Louis Le Prince, his quest to invent and patent the first movie camera and projector, and the tragedy that followed.
More about the author and his work can be found at his website: https://www.paulfischerauthor.com/
