- 1 rue de la République, 69001 Lyon
- What you see
- What you need to know
This memorial plaque reminds us of the extraordinary story of the Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis, pioneers of cinema.
It was the revolutionary invention of the cinematograph, inspired by Thomas Edison's Kinetograph, that changed the course of history.
The Lumière brothers had been making films since 1891, but it was in 1895 that they truly took the world by surprise. On March 19 of that year, they made their first film, "La sortie des usines Lumière," capturing everyday life in motion. During the following summer, their short film "Le jardinier" became famous as "L'arroseur arrosé," marking the beginning of comedy in cinema.
It was in Lyon, their hometown, that on January 25, 1896, the first Lumière movie theater opened its doors, at the Café de Madrid, on the corner of Rue de la République and Rue Pizay, bearing the sign "Animated Photography". The screenings each lasted 15 minutes in a small room for 80 people.
- Archive images
- Video of the 125 years of cinema in Lyon
Source France 3 – francetvinfo
- Anecdote
On April 12, 1897, a tragic event shakes the city: a woman, driven by resentment at having been abandoned while pregnant, makes the desperate decision to take revenge. At the entrance to the cinema, she throws vitriol at her companion.
