Barnes, Bill (William), 1920 - 2019
Biography
William 'Bill' Barnes was a renowned film history and collector, who together with his twin brother John (1920-2008), amassed one of the finest collections of early British cinema in the country.
Bill and John became fascinated with cinema from an early age. When they were twelve years old they had a home cine projector and soon after, still in their teen years, they started to make their own films and documentaries. Examples of the titles they created together are Cornish Nets and With the Gypsies in Kent.
Bill and John started to collect cinema material in the 1930s. The brothers served together in the Royal Navy during WWII. At the end of the war, they became specialist booksellers of cinema and pre-cinema material.
The brothers opened the Barnes Museum of Cinematography in St Ives in 1936. John managed the collection while Bill continued to build up the collection visiting fairs, markets and auctions around the country. At this time Bill was working as a Film Production Consultant in London, where he used to visit markets and antique shops. The museum closed in 1986 and the collection was split between the Museo Nazionale del Cinema in Turin and Hove Museum. Eventually, Bill started to run his own stall in Chelsea antiques market selling optical toys, lantern slides and photo cine items. John, who remained in Cornwall all his life, died in 2008. The brothers had always been very close and Bill felt a great loss.
Bill became a leading authority on many aspects of the optical media that preceded cinema and in particular of the early years of cinema itself.
John and Bill wrote extensively on early cinema history, John was known for The Beginnings of Cinema in Britain series and Bill for his articles on The Magic Lantern journal among others.
Bill and John received an honorary doctorate from the University of Stirling in 2006 and the Jean Mitry Prize.
Found in 286 Collections and/or Records:
Queen's Hall Programme, 30 August 1902
Queen's Hall Programme, 3 November 1902
Queen's Hall Programme, 17 December 1898
Music recital programme including the words of songs with special display of animated pictures including the Boer War. Black type on off white paper with commercial advertising and programme in the centre, 6p.p.
Queen's Hall Programme, 11 February 1899
Music recital programme including the words of songs with special display of animated sport pictures including boxing, rowing and diving as well as the serpentine dance. Black type on off white paper with commercial advertising and programme in the centre, 6p.p.
Queen's Hall Programme, 2 March 1907
Music recital programme including the words of songs with future programme containing animated pictures. Black type on off white paper with commercial advertising and programme in the centre, 4p.p.
Randall Williams King of Showmen from Ghost Show to Bioscope Monograph, 1998
Monograph about Randall Williams by Professor Vanessa Toulmin dedicated to Bill Barnes and Visual Delights conference introduction paper
Research Material, c1900 - 1999
Reserach material related to early travelling moving picture shows including Bacon's new map of London with areas marked in red and blue marker, photocopies of Poole's programmes, photocopies of the Politechnic shows at Queen's Hall and other programmes and photocopy of an article about the early years of British film.
Round Room Rotunda Poster, 4 July 1892
Royal Victoria Hall Programme, 29 April 1910
Waterloo Bridge, London. Black type on off white background with royal coat of arms on top left on the front cover, inside programme listing, Animated Pictures by E. Holmes, Laurie Lyndon, Fred Fleet, Charles Desma and Madge Mona, George Penn, Amy B. Ellis, Racpo, Shirley, The Three Coppers, Dan Kirton and Beale and Broadway. Also contains preview of upcoming programme including animated picture exhibition, popular lectures on Ely Cathedral and a temperance meeting, 2p.p.
Sadlers Wells Theatre Programme, 11 January 1897
Three fold programme containing black type on green background and an illustration of George E. Belmount and commercial advertisement on the outside, inside The Wicklow Cabin, commercial advertising and programme listing Frances Harrold's combination in A Just Retribution, Flo Gallimore, Sibb and Sibb, George Barron, R.W. Paul's Theatrograph, Tom Leamore and Home Sweet Home.
Sadlers Wells Theatre Programme, 18 January 1897
Three fold programme containing black type on green background and an illustration of George E. Belmount and commercial advertisement on the outside, inside The Wicklow Cabin, commercial advertising and programme listing Frances Harrold's combination in The Last Dread Penalty, Tom Leamoire, Sibb and Sibb, George Barron, R.W. Paul's Theatrograph, Ada Fawn and Home Sweet Home.
Salambo Programme, 1914
Colour illustration of a woman in a long blue dress wearing a large peacock feather attire and a cape and red type on grey background on the front cover, inside description of scenes and black and white photographs, 10p.p.
Savoy Cinema Programme, 10 November 1938
Scene of Clown Print, c1800 - 1899
Illustration of three clown and a box with a number 7 on the front, surrounded by numbers, maybe a table game. Etching and aquatint on card. Printed by Amand, Amsterdam.
Scene of Theatre Play Print, c1800 - 1899
Illustration of a theatre scene from a balcony showing a ballerina, a police man and some clowns and the public. Colour etching and acquatint on paper.
Scripts for Panoramic Shows, 1854 - 1882
Scripts for Gompertz's Panorama of the late war from Punch, description of the battle of Kassassin and the bombardment of Alexandria and sights of the world. Black type on white and blue backgrounds.
Secrets of Famous Magicians Booklet, c1940 - 1949
Blue, red and white illustration of a magician in a robe and pointy hat on the front cover, inside articles and black and white illustrations, 14p.p.
Skating Palace Programme, 1896
Sauchiehall Steet, Glasgow. Three fold programme containing colour illustrations of theatre scenes and architecture on the outside, inside commercial advertising and programme listing Crissie Milton, Conjuring and how it's done by Mr A.M. Hubner, The Sakers, Bale Troupe, Griff, Barrington Foote, Cinematograph, Percy Meye, Yates & Emslie, Rex Harley, The Websters, Bock Plyades. Printed by F.R. Liddell, Advertising Contractor, 33 Bath Street.
St James Hall Poster, Saturday 27 July c1889
Plymouth. Joseph & George Poole all the entertainments, strange & Wilson's Excursions to Russia and Turkeyfor the benefit of Miss Alice Turner and Mr Fred Medex, comic musical sketch Two of a Trade, Freeland, for the benefit of Mr Carl Webb. Red and black type on yellow background.
St. James Hall Poster, Wednesday 24 June c1885
Additional filters:
- Type
- Archival Object 285
- Collection 1
- Subject
- Acrobats 7
- Aerialists 5
- Anglo-Afghan Wars 10
- Anglo-Burmese War, 3rd, 1885 4
- Anglo-Egyptian War, 1882 33
- Animal trainers 3
- Animals 17
- Circus 7
- Clowning 9
- Comedians 31
- Contortionists 1
- Dance 4
- Dwarfs (Persons) 3
- Equestrians 3
- Exhibitions 10
- Fairs 3
- Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871 3
- Gymnasts 7
- Jugglers 7
- Magic 18
- Male impersonators 7
- Minstrel shows 20
- Motion pictures 177
- Music-halls 62
- Musical performances 73
- Musicians 3
- Optical illusions 128
- Pantomime 8
- Performers 135
- Pierrot 4
- Puppets 5
- Showman 109
- Showwoman 1
- Sideshows 3
- Singing 39
- South African War, 1899-1902 12
- Stunt performers 4
- Tableaux vivants 7
- Travel 63
- Variety 165
- Ventriloquists 22
- War 52
- World War, 1914-1918 5
- Zulu War, 1879 9 + ∧ less