It was in the heart of Lyon's Monplaisir neighborhood at the Villa Lumière that film began. In 1894, the first film tests on the now-famous Cinematograph took place in the Lumière brothers' villa. Like a firestorm, their invention gave rise to film screenings of the early 20th century and prompted the brothers to further perfect the ability to record film. At their villa, their original animated images are housed side by side with some of the brothers' other inventions like the Photorama (for 360-degree panoramic pictures), the stereoscopic projector (for 3D films), and their surprisingly articulated "pincer hand," designed by Louis Lumière to aid amputees from the First World War.
Institut & Musee Lumiere, 25 Rue du Premier Film, 69008 Lyon, France, Phone: +33 (0) 4 78 78 18 95, Map