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 64 Collections and/or Records:
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.
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.
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.
Guide Book of Charles W. and John R. Poole Latest Myriorama, c1920 - 1929
Hamilton and Overend's New Patented Royal Panorama Programme, c1876 - 1882
Hamilton's Excursions and Panstereorama of Passing Events Programme, c1880
Harry H. Hamilton's Panstereorama of Passing Events Programme, c1880 - 1889
Harry Poole's Greatest Myriorama Programme, 27 February 1893
Hengler's Grand Cirque Poster, c1879 - 1889
Brunswich Road, Liverpool. Blue type on white background, Poole & Young's new excursions, Zulu War, Rorke's Drift, Cetywayou the Zulu King, The Dioramic Effects, Electric light, singers and ventriloquists, Miss Mary Townley, Mr W. D'Almaine, Le Petite Maud and the Petit Charlie, Mr Felix Somers, Mr Frank Freeland. Printed by Stafford and Co., Printers and Engravers Nottingham.
J. Poole's Myriorama Booklet, c1900 - 1999
J. Poole's Myriorama Booklet, c1900 - 1999
Joseph Poole's Myriorama Booklet, c1890 - 1899
Joseph Poole's New Myriorama Programme, 23 December 1889
Joseph Poole's New Myriorama Programme, 8 January 1900
Joseph Pool's New Eclipse Myriorama Guide Book and Songs, c1880 - 1889
Large Victoria Rooms Poster, c1889
Clifton. Patronised by the Right Worshipful The Mayor G.W. Edwards, all the latest war songs, more new scenes with dioramic changes, St Petersburgh to Constantinople, visiting every place of interest during the late war, Strage and Wilson's New Diorama of the Russo-Turkish Campaign, Vocal and Instrumental music, The Band. Blue type on off white silk. Printed by Taylor Bros., Printers, Baldwin Street Bristol.
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- Subject: War X
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- Acrobats 3
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- Anglo-Afghan Wars 8
- Anglo-Burmese War, 3rd, 1885 4
- Anglo-Egyptian War, 1882 33
- Animal trainers 2
- Animals 4
- Circus 3
- Clowning 3
- Comedians 17
- Contortionists 1
- Dance 1
- Dwarfs (Persons) 1
- Equestrians 2
- Exhibitions 4
- Fairs 1
- Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871 3
- Gymnasts 4
- Jugglers 4
- Magic 7
- Male impersonators 2
- Minstrel shows 6
- Motion pictures 46
- Music-halls 18
- Musical performances 32
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- Optical illusions 59
- Pantomime 3
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- Showman 55
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- Singing 23
- South African War, 1899-1902 12
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- Travel 37
- Variety 39
- Ventriloquists 15
- War 52
- World War, 1914-1918 5
- Zulu War, 1879 9 + ∧ less