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:
Great Colston Hall Poster , c1893 - 1895
Great Colston Hall Poster, January 1894
Bristol. Brown type on yellow background listing Joseph Poole's sights of the world, Off with 'em by Mr Poole's Minstrels, Venice, Chicago, Loss of the H.M Ship Victoria, Poole's Variety Confederation, Poole's Popular Programme, Mr Fred Mayer, Miss Dent, Mr A.W. Hallo, Miss May Finch, Spence & Wright, Mr Somers, Miss May Finch, Pongo, Seeblod & Dent, Horton & Linder, Beno. Printed by Fry Bros, Printers, Broad Quay, Bristol.
Guide Book of Charles W. and John R. Poole Latest Myriorama, c1920 - 1929
Guild Hall Poster, 12 - 13 May 1902
Hamilton and Overend's New Patented Royal Panorama Programme, c1876 - 1882
Hamilton's Excursions and Panstereorama of Passing Events Programme, c1880
Hamilton's New Excursions Programme, c1880
Introductory tableau showing California, London, Crossing the Channel, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Constantinople, Ceylon, Washington, Southampton to Trasvaal, The Cotterells, comedy act, Miss Trixy Holland, comedy act, Arnetti, musical act, Walter Roselle, ventriloquist, Sid Colenza, comedy act, Godfrey Martin's latest cinematoscope. Black type on green background and two small illustraton of men in tailcoats, contains hand written annotations. Printed by Leader Printing Works, Lincoln, 2p.p.
Hamilton's Tour Around The World Programme, c1800 - 1899
Charing Cross to China, China to San Francisco, San Francisco to New York, New York to St. Pancras via Liverpool, Afghanistan. Blue type on off white background with knot border on front cover, inside guide to the show, on back cover lyrics of songs sung by W.C. Mappin and Mr L. Travers. Printed by Thornton and Pattinson, Printers Etc., Scale Lane, Hull, 2p.p
Handbills, 1882 - 2017
Handbills for Brick Lane Music Hall, Admission All Classes, Colston Hall, Harry H. Hamilton, Wilton's Music Hall, Player's Theatre, Hoxton Hall.
Harris Advertisement, c1870 - 1890
Black type on off what background, advertisement for a clothing show.
Harry H. Hamilton Original Excursions to America Programme, c1800 - 1899
Harry H. Hamilton's Excursions Handbill, 21 February 1882
Colston Hall, Bristol. Four fold handbill with programme and almanac, also blue and white illustration of world scenes in the centre.
Harry H. Hamilton's Excursions Programme, c1880 - 1889
Harry H. Hamilton's Panstereorama of Passing Events Programme, c1880 - 1889
Harry Poole's Greatest Myriorama Programme, 27 February 1893
Hengler's Grand Cirque Poster, c1879 - 1889
Brunswich Road, Liverpool. Blue type on white background, Poole & Young's new excursions, Zulu War, Rorke's Drift, Cetywayou the Zulu King, The Dioramic Effects, Electric light, singers and ventriloquists, Miss Mary Townley, Mr W. D'Almaine, Le Petite Maud and the Petit Charlie, Mr Felix Somers, Mr Frank Freeland. Printed by Stafford and Co., Printers and Engravers Nottingham.
Her Majesty's Theatre, King John Souvenir Booklet, 13 November 1899
Souvenir guide presented by Herbert Beerbohm Tree on the occasion of the 60th consecutive performance of King John at her Majesty's Theatre containing black and white photographs, illustrations on the play and text, including various images of tableau vivants. Black, brown and grey illustration of King John on a horse with soldiers and title on top left and brown type on front cover. Published by teh British Mutoscope and Biograph Company Limited, 24p.p.
Hippodrome Programme, 28 August 1933
Brighton, The Big Crazy Gang from the London Palladium. Blue type on white background with Art Deco style frame decorations on the front cover, inside programme and commercial advertising. Printed by Stillwell Darby and Co., Advertising Contractors, Charing Cross House, W1, 6p.p
Holiday Rumbles in the Isle of Man Poster, c1880 - 1890
Popular Musical and Dioramic Entertainment, Illustrated Songs, Humorous Recitals, Railway Collision, Fire, Fire, Edison's Budget of Fun, Lincoln in the Cinematograph, Return of the Lincolnshire Volunteers from South Africa, Volunteer Review at Lincoln. Red and black type on white background and black and white photograph of a man with a cinematographic camera on top left corner.
J. N. Studd's Picture Palace Poster, Monday 17 June 1912
Aberfan. Black type on brown background, pictures and varieties, Great Sporting Week, Billy Ross & Co., in Mr Maloney's Troubles, The Derby 1912, Pictorial Concert every Sunday. Pinted by Jones Printer, Aberfan.
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