The Lumière North American Co.:
Photography, Film, and French in Burlington
with Hugo Martínez Cazón
Local historian Hugo Martínez Cazón will discuss the remarkable history of the Lumière brothers’ photographic products factory in Burlington, Vermont, the reasons it was located here, and its importance to the early history of photography and cinema.
Between 1893 and 1907, the world welcomed with wonder two astounding inventions, both of which had previously been considered impossible. In Lyon, France, the celebrated Lumière brothers created the Cinematographe, known today as cinema, and Autochrome, the first direct color photography. Much less well known is the surprising story of their only factory in North America (or anywhere outside Lyon), located in Burlington.
What would motivate the largest photographic plate company in Europe to build a factory in a small Vermont town in 1900? What unexpected consequences did Autochrome technology have around the world? How did the earliest direct color photography inspire and change art, photojournalism, and the environmental movement? What role did the Burlington factory play in the earliest days of cinema in the United States?
Martínez Cazón will also discuss how he proved that the nearly forgotten building had a direct connection to the Lumières and to the lasting impact of their photographic and cinematic inventions.
Date: Thursday, January 16, 7pm
Place: Saint Michael’s College | Cheray Hall, Room 111 | or via Zoom Webinar
Admission: The event is free and open to the public.
Language: The lecture will be in English.
Organized and co-sponsored by the French program at Saint Michael’s College (VT) and the Western Massachusetts/Vermont chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French.
We previously covered Martínez Cázon’s research here.
An autochrome photo, courtesy Tekniska museet via Flickr