Georges Demenÿ(1850-1917)

Georges Demenÿ was inventor, chronophotgrapher, filmmaker and gymnast born at Douai, France. After studying at Douai and Lille, he reached Paris and enrolled in the physiology course of Étienne-Jules Marey, quickly becoming one of the scientist's closest associates. Together they established a programme of research which was to lead to the creation of the 'Station Physiologique', which opened in 1882 in the Bois de Boulogne. Demenÿ was Marey's assistant there, and the two researchers produced a considerable body of work, photographing human and animal movement using sequential photography (chronophotography). The 'film' career of Marey and Demenÿ really began in 1888 when Marey's camera recorded on a sensitive strip several series of images. From 1890 they were using celluloid film. On 3 March 1892, Demenÿ filed a patent for the Phonoscope, an apparatus for glass discs with a series of chronophotographic images on their circumference which could be projected using a powerful Molteni lantern. After the Phonoscope was successfully presented at the Exposition Internationale de Photographie de Paris (1892), Demenÿ dreamed of commercialising chronophotography, and pushed Marey to order the manufacture of six cameras intended for sale. Relations between them soured when Demenÿ formed, in December 1892, the Société de Phonoscope. Marey refused to co-operate in this enterprise, so Demenÿ devised his own camera, inventing the 'beater' mechanism - used in many later projectors - to move the film. In 1894 Demenÿ was dismissed from the Station Physiologique. He installed himself at Levallois-Perret, rue Chaptal, and made about a hundred very diverse Phonoscope scenes. On 22 August 1895 Demenÿ and sleeping partner Léon Gaumont signed their first contract, and in November the Phonoscope (renamed Bioscope) was offered for sale. Early in 1896, the Biographe camera using 60 mm unperforated film was also on offer. Projection by means of Phonoscope/Bioscope discs offered a very brief entertainment. The Biographe camera was already archaic in 1896, in contrast to those of Lumière or de Bedts, and Demenÿ's machines were a financial failure. However, Gaumont exploited Demenÿ's principle of the beater movement with great success, and Demenÿ entrused to him the financial battle of cinematography, returning to his first passion, gymnastics.