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 136 Collections and/or Records:
A Pretty Little Song for Pretty Little Children Song Booklet, 1892
Admission All Classes Handbills, 2007
Handbills for two separated events of Admissions All Classes, containing colour photographs and listing of acts.
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.
Berlin Winter Garten Programme, 1937
Bill Barnes Collection
Programmes, posters and photographs mainly related to the Poole family's travelling Myriorama show.
Bristol Hippodrome Programme, 3 February 1913
Bown and white illustration of architectural arch with four dancing women and a seascape on the background with two figures riding a horse on the front cover, inside commercial advertising and programme listing Inez and Pim, Daisy Sloan, Wild Australia, Fun in the Stockade, Sport and Play, Wild Jessie, Florina Cody, Percy Hayden, Draww, Hambo & Frisco, Haidee de Rance, Percy Honri in Bohemia on the Bioscope and Mouth of the Arbour, 4p.p.
Bristol Hippodrome Programme, 1 January 1913
Bown and white illustration of architectural arch with four dancing women and a seascape on the background with two figures riding a horse on the front cover, inside commercial advertising and programme listing Furness Willaims, Frederick Sylvester & Co., Monkey Music Hall, Lorna & Toots Punds, Canova's celebrated living porcelains on the bioscope, 4p.p.
Bycullah Athenaeum Programme, 11 October 1907
Endifield. Black type on green background listing popular lectures, Madame Bertha Moore, Professor W.B. Bottomley, Richard Kearton, F. Ormiston Smith, Miss Madeleine O'Connor and Dr A.H. Fison.
Certificate, 10 August 1892
Document certifying that Fred Lionel Mayer did his first appearance on Poole's New Myriorama with signatures on the bottom section, on Poole's Myriorama letter headed paper with red and white illustrations of people from around the world standing behing a globe held by a cherub and the figure of Britannia pointing a trident towards it. Manuscript.
Chiswick Empire Programme, 26 January 1914
Three fold programme, white and blue type and illustration of the interior of the theatre and commercial advertising on the outside, inside commercial advertising and programme listing The Dennisons, Frederick Sylvester & Co., Sammy Shields, Joe Peterman, The McNaughtons, The Seven Tagged Gipsy Girls, Daisy Sloan, Fred Karno and On the Bioscope big game hunting in central Africa.
Collins's Programme, 23 January 1899
Three fold programme with green and white illustrations of two pierrot characters and a male character on the outside, inside commercial advertising and programme listing Mr Pat Carey, Miss Amy Allnutt, Mr Arthur Lennard, George Kirk and Company, Mr T.E. Dunville, Sisters Preston, The Four Poole-Pelhams, Mr Will Hebdon, Miss Lottie Lennox, Mr Harry Tate, Lotto, Lilo & Otto, Mr Tom Leamore, Edison's Pictures, Tom White's Arabs, The Leonards, The Bros. Horn, Mr Chas. Gardiner and March.
Croydon Hippodrome Programme, 29 August 1910
Three fold programme with blue and white type and illustration of the interior of the theatre and commercial advertising on the outside, inside commerical advertising and programme listing American Bioscope, George Adam, Lottol Lilo & Otto, Larola, Gwennie Llewellyn, Helen Trix, Bellew & Stock's Co., Rose Cabani, Frank Lynne, Fred Lindsay and Miss Ellaline Terriss & Co.
Crystal Palace Programme, 1 January 1881
Crystal Palace Programme, 12 December 1896
Black illustrations of musical instruments and a woman holding a small harp and black type on orange background on the front cover, inside details of concerts including lyrics and sheet music with informatioin about the music and listing of performers including, Akimoto's Royal Yedo Japanese Troupe, Mr Snazelle and Mdame Hoyce Maas, also listing of other events including picture galleries, Panoramas and Dioramas and Wulff's Great Continental Circus, 22p.p.
Crystal Palace Programme, 18 March 1893
Black illustrations of musical instruments and a woman holding a small harp and black type on orange background on the front cover, inside details of concerts including lyrics and sheet music with informatioin about the music and listing of performers including, Mr Fleming Norton, Mr Robert Ganthony, Mr R.A. Roberts and The Siege of Paris Panorama, 20p.p.
Dante's Inferno Programme, 1911
The Dome, Brighton. Red and blue type and blue illustration of a man's portrain in profile on the front cover, inside description of scenes and blue and white photographs, 6p.p.
Derby Castle Programme, August 1908
Douglas, Isle of Man. Black illustration of a couple dancing on a yellow background on the front cover, inside dance programme, Hetty King, Derby Castle Opera House, Vernon's Bioscope, Zena Date & Seymour Hicks and the the London Company in The Gay Gordons, 2p.p.
Derby Castle Programme, August 1907
Douglas, Isle of Man. Black illustration of a couple dancing on a pink background on the front cover, inside dance programme, Vesta Tillie, Harry Wood's 1907 Lancers and Vernon's Bioscope, 2p.p.
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- Archival Object 135
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- Acrobats 6
- Aerialists 5
- Anglo-Afghan Wars 7
- Anglo-Burmese War, 3rd, 1885 4
- Anglo-Egyptian War, 1882 19
- Animal trainers 3
- Animals 16
- Circus 5
- Clowning 9
- Comedians 27
- Dance 2
- Dwarfs (Persons) 3
- Equestrians 3
- Exhibitions 4
- Fairs 1
- Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871 2
- Gymnasts 6
- Jugglers 6
- Magic 14
- Male impersonators 7
- Minstrel shows 15
- Motion pictures 97
- Music-halls 42
- Musical performances 45
- Musicians 3
- Optical illusions 57
- Pantomime 7
- Performers 135
- Pierrot 4
- Puppets 4
- Showman 51
- Showwoman 1
- Sideshows 1
- Singing 29
- South African War, 1899-1902 5
- Stunt performers 4
- Tableaux vivants 7
- Travel 41
- Variety 122
- Ventriloquists 19
- War 31
- World War, 1914-1918 4
- Zulu War, 1879 6 + ∧ less