The Shadow Traps
In October 1888, the French inventor Louis Le Prince shot what many people now believe to be the world’s first films. On the 16th September 1890, and just before he was due to sail to New York to demonstrate his films in public for the first time, Le Prince boarded the Dijon to Paris train and was never seen again.The Shadow Traps podcasts will tell the story of Le Prince, his life, his films and his mysterious disappearance. It is a mystery story, an exploration of invention and obsession and a love letter to film. To find out more and support this podcast, go to www.patreon.com/theshadowtraps
The Shadow Traps
Episode 30. Flying Pictures
•
Irfan Shah
•
Season 1
•
Episode 30
Le Prince has applied for a US Patent, however, things do not go to plan. The Patent Office rejects several of the inventor's claims, forcing him to go back and re-think. This episode looks at some of Le Prince's attempts to get his designs accepted, and in the process, it uncovers for the first time, a small mistake by the Patent Office which might provide a clue as to how much the Patent Examiner, William Burke, actually understood about what Le Prince was trying to do.