Kinora Casler-Lumiere. Brevet S.G.D.G. Licence de la Compagnie Francaise du Mutoscope & Biographe, No 664.
Polished Mahogany Case, 28 cm x 18 cm x 14 cm or 11" x 7" x 5 1/2", with Nickel plated Makers label. Viewing aperture with lens, winding handle with ebonised handle, nickel plated folding mirrored light adjuster. An hinged door to reveal the clockwork mechanism.
Together with four films.

While the Lumiere brothers were working on developing their Cinematographe camera and projector of 1895, they were also developing the Kinora as a parallel product for the home environment. The Lumiere could not decide if cinema would actually be popular enough to be profitable and created the Kinora as a subsidiary part of their enterprise.
The Lumiere patented the Kinora viewing machine in France on September 10th, 1896 and in Britain on October 13th 1896, however it transpired that the Kinora was a development of an idea already patented by Herman Casler under the name Mutoscope in America.
As the Lumiere brothers cinematographe became more successful they decided not to concentrate their efforts on the Kinora and passed the production to Gaumont in Paris. Gaumont began marketing them in France around 1900, supported with approximately 100 reels of subjects by Lumiere and others early pioneers of cinema. As the makers label on this example clearly shows, Casler Lumiere and Gaumont worked together on the production and marketing of their machines.
Around 1902, a versions of the viewer was launched in Britain were it became a great success, especially when Queen Alexandria, an enthusiastic photographer in her own right, bought an example which is still extant in the Royal collections.
As this Kinora is No. 664 and has a winding handle and not the usual wooden knob to wind the mechanism we think it dates from just prior to their manufacture in England 1902.

The four films that are with this Kinora are:
Series 1. No. 310, stamped B.M&Biograph Co Ltd; of a gentleman opening a letter and then writing a reply.
Serie. 23, No. 9, stamped B.M&Biograph Co Ltd;of a child playing with a stuffed toy.
Series 28 No 105, stamped B.M&Biograph Co Ltd; of a railway gang working on a track before retiring to let a steam train pass.
Serie. 688, No. 2, stamped Lumiere, Lyon; of two North African women dancing in front of a group of musicians, probably taken at the 1901 Paris Exhibition which had of various displays of national costumes and entertainment as part of the attractions.