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 109 Collections and/or Records:
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.
Agricultural Hall Poster, c1838 - 1842
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
Assembly Rooms Poster, Wednesday 15 May c1901
Cheltenham. Hamilton's Grand New Diorama Under the British Flag, Russo-Turkish War, Constantinople, Bombardment of Rustchuck, Shipka Pass, Storming Fort of St. Nicholas, Fall of Plevna, Mount Aararat, Turks at Pray, Persia, India, China, Japan, Australia, Canada, Mr Frank Freeland, National and Patriotic War Songs. Black and red type on white background. Printed by Stafford and Co, Printers and Engravers, Nottingham.
Bill Barnes Collection
Programmes, posters and photographs mainly related to the Poole family's travelling Myriorama show.
Capitol Ystalyfera Poster, 10 February 1930
Al Jolson the singing fool, Talkies. Red, blue and yellow type on off white background and yellow border. Printed by Willsons', Printers, Leicester.
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.
City Hall Poster, c1890
Perth. Grand Illiminated Day Exhibitions, Gompertz New Magnificent Panorama Illustrating Lord Elgin's Japan and China and the Crypt of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem, accompanied by appropriate Music and Descriptive Lecture. Black type on white background.
Colonial Hall Poster, Monday 28 October c1889 - 1895
Cardiff. The Original Pepper's Ghost and Spectral Opera Compy, Christmas Carol, Satanella, Faust, Lansashire Witches, The Flying Dutchman, The Mountain Sylph, Shadown on the Snow, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Corsican Brothers, Muddlehead in a Fix, Haunted House, Zig-Zag, Psychic Spiritmometer. Black type on white background. Printed by Theopilus Creber, Color Pinter, Union Street, Plymouth.
Colston Hall Poster, Tuesday 21 February c1882
Colston Hall Poster, 21 February 1882
Bristol. A Congress of Solid Fun, The Monarchs of Ethiopians by Hamilton's. Black and red type on white background and colour illustration of a head portrait of a black man wearing American themed clothes with illustrations of black people along the bottom of the images spelling the word Minstrels in the centre. Printed by J. Upton, Steam Printing Works, Great Charles Street, Birmingham.
Congress Hall Poster, 21 January 1884
Reading. Messrs Poole new mastodone Diorama of the World, America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, Asia, Europe, War in Egypt, The Royal Review, Poole's Concert Party, Orchestra and Military Bands. Black and red type on blue, yellow, white and red backgrounds with colour illustration of Chinese acrobatics and fireworks in the centre. Printed by Stafford & Co., Printers and Engravers, Neherfield, near Nottingham.
Corn Exchange Assembly Rooms Poster, Monday 16 December c1901
Preston. Poole's & Young's New Diorama of Turkey, Cyprus, England and our Great Indian Empire, Poole's & Young's Excursions to the East, A Splendid Band and Staff of Vocals. Black type on white background around the edges, in the centre colour illustration of a war battle.
Corn Exchange Poster, 18 February 1886
Bicester. Poole's Trips Abroad, Suakin to Berber, War in Egypt, City and Fortifictaions of Herat, The Lord Mayor's Show, The Nile Boats and Camel Corps for the Soudan Campaign, Concert Party. Black type on yellow background. Printed by Smith and Pankhurst, Printers, Bicester.
Correspondence, 1853 - 1892
Various items of correspondence
Correspondence, 1853 - 1892
Correspondence including postcards and a short letter from Thomas Jarrott, lantern and cinematograph expert, and two envelopes, one with sketches of travelling equipment on reverse. Manuscript
Funeral Cards, 1877 - 1885
Funeral cards for George Walter Poole, Henry James Mayer and Alexander Billington. Black and silver borders, some illustrations and text.
Gomp-Ertz Grand Diorama Programme, c1882
Gompertz's Gigantic Diorama Poster, c1880 - 1899
Corn Exchange, Braintree. Garibaldi's Campaign in Italy and Sicily, Mr Albert Smith's panorama of the tour up the Rhine. Black type on off white background.
Gompertz's Panorama Tickets, c1852
Tickets for Gompertz's panorama show. Black type on yellow and pink backgrounds.
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- Archival Object 108
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- Acrobats 4
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- Anglo-Afghan Wars 10
- Anglo-Burmese War, 3rd, 1885 4
- Anglo-Egyptian War, 1882 33
- Animal trainers 2
- Animals 4
- Circus 5
- Clowning 3
- Comedians 25
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- Exhibitions 3
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- Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871 3
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- Magic 8
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- Minstrel shows 15
- Motion pictures 74
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- Musical performances 47
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- Optical illusions 106
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- Pierrot 3
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- South African War, 1899-1902 9
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- Travel 62
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- War 47
- World War, 1914-1918 4
- Zulu War, 1879 9 + ∧ less