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
Assembly Room Programme, 4 - 6 December 1902
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.
Assembly Rooms Poster, 9 July 1874
Huntriss Row, Scarborough. Aetheroscope, Grand Fashionable Night, Patronace of Col. Child and the Officers of the 2nd West York Engineer Volunteers, Faust, Professor Pepper's Proteus; Or We Are Here but Not Here, The Haunted House. Black type on silk with pink tassels.
Berlin Winter Garten Programme, 1937
Bill Barnes Collection
Programmes, posters and photographs mainly related to the Poole family's travelling Myriorama show.
Brick Lane Music Hall Handbill, 2016 - 2017
Colour photograph of music hall performers waving Union Jacks on the front cover, inside colour photographs of acts and some informantion.
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.
Café Concert Tous les Soirs Cinematographe Poster, c1890 - 1900
Advertising poster for venue booking. Multicoloured text on yellow, green and pink backgrounds and white border, also theatrical illustrations on top section. Printed by H. Vial Editeur, Succ de Ch. Juliot, a Dourdan (C&O).
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- Archival Object 285
- Collection 1
- Subject
- Acrobats 7
- Aerialists 5
- Anglo-Afghan Wars 10
- Anglo-Burmese War, 3rd, 1885 4
- Anglo-Egyptian War, 1882 33
- Animal trainers 3
- Animals 17
- Circus 7
- Clowning 9
- Comedians 31
- Contortionists 1
- Dance 4
- Dwarfs (Persons) 3
- Equestrians 3
- Exhibitions 10
- Fairs 3
- Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871 3
- Gymnasts 7
- Jugglers 7
- Magic 18
- Male impersonators 7
- Minstrel shows 20
- Motion pictures 177
- Music-halls 62
- Musical performances 73
- Musicians 3
- Optical illusions 128
- Pantomime 8
- Performers 135
- Pierrot 4
- Puppets 5
- Showman 109
- Showwoman 1
- Sideshows 3
- Singing 39
- South African War, 1899-1902 12
- Stunt performers 4
- Tableaux vivants 7
- Travel 63
- Variety 165
- Ventriloquists 22
- War 52
- World War, 1914-1918 5
- Zulu War, 1879 9 + ∧ less