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Barnes, Bill (William), 1920 - 2019

 Person

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 177 Collections and/or Records:

The Palace Theatre Programme, 25 March 1911

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.133
Scope and Contents

Three fold programme with colour illustration of interior theatre scene depicting the stage, the band and some members of the audience on the cover, inside commercial advertisement and programme listing Miss Lily Hill, Madeleine Rossiter, Zertho's Dogs of All Nations, Trovato, Argentina, Signorina Marie Rita Brondi, A Fantasy in Black and White, Carlton, Miss Evelyn Millard and Company, Miss Maud Allan, Madame Louise Balthy and The Palace Bioscope.

Dates: 25 March 1911

The Palace Theatre, The Rag's Charity Matinee in Aid of the Daily Dispatch and Chronicle Unemployed Fund Programme, 16 December 1904

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.80
Scope and Contents Black illustration of a woman holding a hat and a man smoking on the front cover, inside list of artist and programme listing Mr Ryder Boys, George Robey, Harry Weldon, The Marvellous Craggs, Marie Kendall, Steve M,Carthy, Bob Vokes, Will Hall, Vitor Andre, Yoko & Hama, Dusty Rhodes, H. Stafford, R. Reading, Leslie Gordon, Morny Cash, A.E.M. & W.A.B., Albert Ventnor, Houdini, Vendome & Chase, Marco, Nelson's Newsboys, Ross & Grayson, Sam Mayo, Sic Brothers Luck, TomLeamore,...
Dates: 16 December 1904

The Palladium Programme, 29 December 1913

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.131
Scope and Contents

Colour illustration of the façade of the building on the front cover, inside commercial advertisements and programme listing Fred Earle, Cissie Lupino, Adele Moraw, Albert Whelan, Little Tich, I Do Like Your Eyes revue and Ruffell's Imperial Bioscope, 6p.p.

Dates: 29 December 1913

The Palladium Programme, 1 January 1917

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.132
Scope and Contents

Purple and white illustration of the façade of the building on the front cover, inside commercial advertisments and programme listing Michael E. Fitzgerald and his club juggling girls, Vernon Watson, The Versatile Four, Tom Wong Troupe the Chinese juggler, Coram ventriloquist, Ella Shields, The Two Bobs, R. G. Knowles, Maidie Scott, George Mozart and Ruffell's Imperial Bioscope, 6p.p.

Dates: 1 January 1917

The Surrey Programme, 13 December 1915

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.117
Scope and Contents

White and blue type on white and blue background and blue and white photograph of the exterior of he building on the front cover, inside commecial advertising and programme listing Syd Sydney, Musical Lento, Rose Cambry, The Aerials, Tom E Hughes, Surrey Bioscope, Fred Kitchen and All Nonsense, 2p.p.

Dates: 13 December 1915

Theatre De Luxe Programme, 27 February 1913

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.97
Scope and Contents

Broadway, West Ealing. Three fold programme with black illustration of four women holding cameras on a yellow background on the outside, inside programme of films including An Actress's Romance, Ascending Mont Blanc, A Matrimonial Breeze, The Fire Fighter's Love, Hogan cSchimit and The plan that Failed. Contains commercial advertisements.

Dates: 27 February 1913

Various Items of Ephemera, c1800 - 2016

 Series
Reference code: 178Z64
Scope and Contents

Various items related to George Walter Poole, Wilton's Music Hall, Henry James Mayer, Alexander Billington, James Upton Printers, Gompertz's panorama show, Poole's Myriorama and Diorama shows and Messrs Strange and Wilson Ghost show. Also includes a theatrical clock with two figures on the sides attracting customers.

Dates: c1800 - 2016

Various Newspapers, 1825 - 1893

 File
Reference code: 178G56.3
Scope and Contents

Sections of newspapers from the British Journal of Photography and newspapers including John Bull and The Morning Chronicle containing information on Birt Acres, Daguerre's Diorama, the Royal Polytechnic Diorama and pages from The Magic Lanthorn containing an article claiming the invetion of Pepper's Ghost in 1855 was Prof. Wheeler.

Dates: 1825 - 1893

Various Posters, c1990 - 2000

 File
Reference code: 178Z64.27
Scope and Contents

Posters advertising film festivals and copies of Barnum & Bailey and Ringling Bros posters.

Dates: c1990 - 2000

Venice in Dublin Poster, 4 July 1892

 Item
Reference code: 178R53.11
Scope and Contents Round Room Rotunda, Dublin Poole's Pictorial Tours, Darkest Africa, Meeting of H.M. Stanley and Emin Pasha, The Falls of Niagara, London day by day, Ireland, Sydney, The British fleet past and present, Poole's consolidated variety confederation, Miss Jessie Arnelli, musical act, Herr Blitz, Miss May Finch, Mr Felix Somers, Messrs Lisburn and O'Marr, Mr Willie Boatman, Poole's vocal quartette party, Mr Fred Mayer. Black type on orange background, printed on front and reverse. Printed by...
Dates: 4 July 1892

Victoria Hall Poster, Monday 11 November c1907

 Item
Reference code: 178R53.61
Scope and Contents

York. Parlato's Electric Animated Pictures, Dumb Sagacity, Needs Must When the Devil Drives, The Whitby Regatta. Blue type on red background. Printed by Dysons, Theatrical Printers, Peterborough.

Dates: Monday 11 November c1907

Vint's Palace Electric Poster, Monday 26 December c1887

 Item
Reference code: 178R53.37
Scope and Contents

Late Town Hall Rugby. Vint's Pictures, The Air Tight Safe, Mark of the Criminal, 3 Favourites, Football at Home, Kelly Visits the Country, David and Goliath, Rose Leaves, Marco the clever boy conjuror, Flirty Afflictions, Calino Cools the Crowd, Lost a Sleeve, Force of Example, Ross Combination, Life for a Life, The Broken Doll, Vint's photo songs. Red type on off white background and solid red border. Printed by Willsons' New Walk Colour Printing Works, Leicester.

Dates: Monday 26 December c1887

W. Morton Pictorial, Musical and Descriptive Entertainment Programme, c1880 - 1889

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.25
Scope and Contents

Southampton, The Bay of Biscay, The rock of Gibraltar, The great harbour of Malta, Mr H. Woodman musical act, Alexandria from the sea, Cairo, Crossing the desert, Miss Edith Elmer impersonating act, Suez, The Sansitore Brothers musical act, A ship of fire, Madras, Calcutta, Canton. Black type on blue background with linear border on the front cover, inside and on back cover programme, 2p.p

Dates: c1880 - 1889

White's Cinema Poster, 25 December 1911

 Item
Reference code: 178R53.38
Scope and Contents

St. Thomas' Green, Haverfordwest. Special Xmas attractions, Billy Ross & Co., change of pictures three times weekly. Black type on brown background and black border. Printed by T.J. Morris Pembrokshire Herald Offices, Bridge Street, Haverfordwest.

Dates: 25 December 1911

William Thurston's New Electric Palace Poster, c1880 - 1890

 Item
Reference code: 178R53.18
Scope and Contents

Animated photography, Illustrated Songs and Scenas. Red and blue type on off white background and red, blue and white geometric border, in the centre red, blue and white illustration of people watching a projection of a plane flying in a theatre. Printed by Wilsons Printers.

Dates: c1880 - 1890

Winter Gardens & Pier Programme, 26 October 1911

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.125
Scope and Contents

Yellow and black decorative illustration with black and white photographs of sites in Bournemouth on the front cover, inside programme concert programme and commercial advertising including an advert for Wet's Pictures Palace at Shartesbury Hall, 4p.p.

Dates: 26 October 1911

Wonderland Poster, 29 March 1897

 Item
Reference code: 178R53.31
Scope and Contents

Last week of the Biograph, Hanley, Logan and Hanley, Little Annie Laughine, Meyer Cohen, The McDounough Trio, Harry C. Stanley and Adele Jackson, Gilbert Girard, Waiting for Hubby, Kechum & Stuffem's Sausage Factory, Pussy's Bath, Why Papa Can't Sleep, Drunken Acrobat, 13th Infantry U.S. Army, Caught in the Act, Prodigal's Return, Hard Wash, Empire Express. Black type and black illustration of two men and a woman dancing in the centre on brown background.

Dates: 29 March 1897

Filtered By

  • Subject: Motion pictures X

Additional filters:

Type
Archival Object 176
Collection 1
 
Subject
Acrobats 5
Aerialists 5
Anglo-Afghan Wars 7
Anglo-Burmese War, 3rd, 1885 4
Anglo-Egyptian War, 1882 27