Skip to main content

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 286 Collections and/or Records:

Croydon Hippodrome Programme, 29 August 1910

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.112
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 29 August 1910

Crystal Palace Programme, 1 January 1881

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.31
Scope and Contents Punch and Judy, Rudolf's black and white harmonic concert company, Christmas Pantomime, Aladdin, invented and produced under the direction of Mr Oscar Barrett and Mr W.R. Osman, The Children's dinner, The skating rink, The picture gallery, Bicycle practice tickets, Artic exploration, The Yarkund and Tibet Court, The Technological Museum, The Alhambra Court, The Pompeian House, The Chinese Court, The Crystal Palace Reading Room, Crystal Palace Company's Library, Pompeii, The New Book Court...
Dates: 1 January 1881

Crystal Palace Programme, 12 December 1896

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.90
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 12 December 1896

Crystal Palace Programme, 18 March 1893

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.91
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 18 March 1893

Dante's Inferno Programme, 1911

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.135
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 1911

Das Neue Rathhaus Berlin Print, 1870

 Item
Reference code: 178V20.15
Scope and Contents

Reproduction of colour print of bulding and street view.

Dates: 1870

Derby Castle Programme, August 1908

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.71
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: August 1908

Derby Castle Programme, August 1907

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.72
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: August 1907

Dick Whittington and His Cat Handbill, 1 to 31 December 2015

 Item
Reference code: 178T47.6
Scope and Contents

Wilton's Music Hall. White type and colour photograph of cast on front, on reverse list of cast and brief introduction.

Dates: 1 to 31 December 2015

Die Borse in Berlin Print , c1880 - 1889

 Item
Reference code: 178V20.16
Scope and Contents

Reproduction of print showing a cityscape by a river.

Dates: c1880 - 1889

Dooner's Bioscope Poster, c1890 - 1900

 Item
Reference code: 178R53.27
Scope and Contents

Fairground Aberavon. Hunting the Fox with the Hounds, Blanco White coon impersonator and dancer, Sisters Williams the Welsh Nightingales. Black type on green background.

Dates: c1890 - 1900

Drury Lane Theatre Print, Published 11 August 1821

 Item
Reference code: 178V20.2
Scope and Contents

Tom and Bob enjoying a theatrical treat. Part of 36 scenes from real life, designed and etched by I.Robert and George Cruikshank in the book: Life in London: or, the day and night scenes of Jerry Hawthorn, Esq., and his elegant friend Corinthian Tom, accompanied by Bob Logic, the Oxonian, in their rambles and sprees through the Metropolis. London published by Jones and Co. Hand coloured etching and aquatint on paper.

Dates: Published 11 August 1821

Empire Theatre Morning Performance in Aid of Funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution Programme, 25 February 1897

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.70
Scope and Contents

Black and white illustration of a sinking ship and a boat rowing away in rough seas on the front cover and black type on white background, inside programme listing; The Adolphi Trio, Lumiere Cinematographe, Miss Connie Ediss, Les Minstrels Parisiens, Mr Edmund Payne & Miss Katie Seymour, Mr Norman Salmond, Miss Marie Tempest, Mr Arthur Roberts, Miss Letty Lind, Semmel's Hungarian and Russian Troupe and Monte Cristo, 2p.p.

Dates: 25 February 1897

Empire Theatre Programme, 16 July 1906

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.98
Scope and Contents

Blue type on white background and embossed crown in gold on the front cover, inside commercial advertising and programme in the centre listing Venus, Australian Ladie's Quartette, Morris Cronin & Truoe, Coppelia and The Biograph, 8p.p.

Dates: 16 July 1906

Exeter Hall Programme, 30 January 1905

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.110
Scope and Contents

Blue type on light pink background with floral illustration on the front cover, inside programme listing Crystalphone solo, special address to the young by the Rev. W.H. Griffith Thomas, Hand-bell ringing and gymnastic display, Dumb bell exercises, Indian Club exercises, Vaulting horse, Flag race, Magic and Mystery by Charles Leslie, Animated Photographs by Messrs. Clarkson, 2p.p.

Dates: 30 January 1905

Felixstowe Spa Pavillion Programme, 25 August 1905

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.118
Scope and Contents

Brown type, floral illustrations and black and white photograph of the outside of the building on the front cover, inside commercial advertising and programme listing programme of concerts and Ruffell's Imperial Bioscope, 4p.p.

Dates: 25 August 1905

Funeral Cards, 1877 - 1885

 File
Reference code: 178Z64.1
Scope and Contents

Funeral cards for George Walter Poole, Henry James Mayer and Alexander Billington. Black and silver borders, some illustrations and text.

Dates: 1877 - 1885

Gomp-Ertz Grand Diorama Programme, c1882

 Item
Reference code: 178K53.14
Scope and Contents Philarmonic Hall, Southampton, War in Egypt, Mr Owen Vauguard and Miss Marie Coulson, musical act, Fred Medex, Central and Southern Africa, Mr H.M. Stanley's encounter with the natives of the Congo River, Discovery of Livingstone, Tarn Bend, Victoria Falls, Pandanus or screw palm, Horrors of the slave system, Slave market at Zanzibar, Source of the Nile, Victoria Nyanza, Abon Simbel, Second cataract of the Nile, Throne of Pharoah, Nubian water wheel, The sitting statues, Sphynx, Sir Garnet...
Dates: c1882

Gompertz's Gigantic Diorama Poster, c1880 - 1899

 Item
Reference code: 178R53.9
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: c1880 - 1899

Gompertz's Panorama Tickets, c1852

 File
Reference code: 178Z64.3
Scope and Contents

Tickets for Gompertz's panorama show. Black type on yellow and pink backgrounds.

Dates: c1852

Additional filters:

Type
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