Barnes, Bill (William), 1920 - 2019
Biography
William 'Bill' Barnes was a renowned film history and collector, who together with his twin brother John (1920-2008), amassed one of the finest collections of early British cinema in the country.
Bill and John became fascinated with cinema from an early age. When they were twelve years old they had a home cine projector and soon after, still in their teen years, they started to make their own films and documentaries. Examples of the titles they created together are Cornish Nets and With the Gypsies in Kent.
Bill and John started to collect cinema material in the 1930s. The brothers served together in the Royal Navy during WWII. At the end of the war, they became specialist booksellers of cinema and pre-cinema material.
The brothers opened the Barnes Museum of Cinematography in St Ives in 1936. John managed the collection while Bill continued to build up the collection visiting fairs, markets and auctions around the country. At this time Bill was working as a Film Production Consultant in London, where he used to visit markets and antique shops. The museum closed in 1986 and the collection was split between the Museo Nazionale del Cinema in Turin and Hove Museum. Eventually, Bill started to run his own stall in Chelsea antiques market selling optical toys, lantern slides and photo cine items. John, who remained in Cornwall all his life, died in 2008. The brothers had always been very close and Bill felt a great loss.
Bill became a leading authority on many aspects of the optical media that preceded cinema and in particular of the early years of cinema itself.
John and Bill wrote extensively on early cinema history, John was known for The Beginnings of Cinema in Britain series and Bill for his articles on The Magic Lantern journal among others.
Bill and John received an honorary doctorate from the University of Stirling in 2006 and the Jean Mitry Prize.
Found in 286 Collections and/or Records:
A Pretty Little Song for Pretty Little Children Song Booklet, 1892
Adam's New Diorama of Scotland Programme, 18 April 1885
Victoria Hall, Glasgow, 50 paintings illustrating cities, towns, mountains, rivers,lochs and the coast of Scotland, Scottish songs, solos, duets and humourous selections. Maroon type on brown background and maroon illustrations of views and architecture on the front cover inside programme, marron illustration of female figure and a deer on landscape, also press reviews inside and on the back cover, 2p.p.
Admission All Classes Handbills, 2007
Handbills for two separated events of Admissions All Classes, containing colour photographs and listing of acts.
Agricultural Hall Poster, c1838 - 1842
Albany Wards Imperial Electric Pictures Poster, Monday 16 January c1888 - 1899
Jubilee Hall, Weymouth. Red and Black type on off white background with blue border. East Lynne in Father Minds the Baby, Neilsons, World's latest events, Miss May Neale, Astor, Bridges Burned, Billy Ross & Co in Mr Maloney's Troubles. Printed by Osonian Press, Park End Street, Oxford.
Alhambra Theatre of Varieties Programme, 5 July 1897
Leicester Square, London, Emmy's Trained Toy Terriers, The Tzigane, Musical Dale, Dagmar and De Celle, Mlle La Tostia, May and Flora Hengler, The Frank Bonhair Troupe of Acrobats, Miss Cissie Loftus, Victoria and Merrie England, Sells and Young. Colour illustration of chrubs and two women floating in the air holding wreaths of flowers and a banner with the theatre's name on it on a golden background on the front, on the reverse programme, 1p.
Alhambra Theatre of Varieties Programme, 10 August 1896
Leiscetes Square, London. Three fold programme containing colour illustration of women and Pierrots dancing on the outside, inside commercial advertising and programme listing The Musical Korries, Emmy's Troupe of Trained Toy Terriers, The Luppus, The Newsky Roussotine Troupe, The Animatographe, Mr Morris Cronin, Rip Van Winkle dramatic ballet and Les Minstrels Dumond.
Alhambra Theatre Programme, 19 November 1900
Red type on off white background and a crescent moon and a star on front cover, inside black and white illustrations of the teatre building, introduction to The Handy Man, commercial advertising, programme of sporting events, programme in the centre listing Du Cane Trio, The Animatograph, A Patriotic Military Ballet, Mr Edward Lauri, M & Mlle. theresa, The Hills, Mlle. Helene Gerard, The Marvellous Craggs, Cincinatti Juggler, The Handy Man, Webb & Hassan and Huline Bros. 5p.p.
An Account of, and Some Personal Memories of, Cinema Activity in the North East of Scotland Monograph, c2018
Monograph about early cinema in Scotland by Ronald Grant. Typescript and some hand written notes, 7p.p
Argyle Theatre of Variety Poster, 7 November 1897
Additional filters:
- Subject
- Motion pictures 177
- Variety 165
- Performers 135
- Optical illusions 128
- Showman 109
- Musical performances 73
- Travel 63
- Music-halls 62
- War 52
- Anglo-Egyptian War, 1882 33
- Comedians 31
- Ventriloquists 22
- Minstrel shows 20
- Magic 18
- Animals 17
- South African War, 1899-1902 12
- Anglo-Afghan Wars 10
- Exhibitions 10
- Clowning 9
- Zulu War, 1879 9
- Pantomime 8
- Acrobats 7
- Circus 7
- Gymnasts 7
- Jugglers 7
- Male impersonators 7
- Tableaux vivants 7
- Aerialists 5
- Puppets 5
- World War, 1914-1918 5
- Anglo-Burmese War, 3rd, 1885 4
- Dance 4
- Pierrot 4
- Stunt performers 4
- Animal trainers 3
- Dwarfs (Persons) 3
- Equestrians 3
- Fairs 3
- Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871 3
- Musicians 3
- Sideshows 3
- Contortionists 1
- Showwoman 1