Adolphe Le Prince(1872-1901)

Adolphe Le Prince was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. His parents were Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince and Elizabeth Whitley. He appeared in Roundhay Garden Scene (1888), the earliest surviving film, making him one of the first four people ever to be filmed. In 1898, he appeared as a witness for the defence in a court case brought by Thomas A. Edison against the American Mutoscope Company. This suit claimed that Edison was the first and sole inventor of cinematography, and thus entitled to royalties for the use of the process. Adolphe was involved in the case but was not allowed to present his father's two cameras as evidence, although films shot with cameras built according to his father's patent were presented. Eventually the court ruled in favour of Edison. A year later that ruling was overturned. In 1901, Adolphe was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in the Point O' Woods vicinity of Fire Island, New York, United States.