Lumière Museum

The Lumière Museum is in the centre of Lyon, at the factory site of the brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière, world-famous pioneers of film and photography. Their father ran a photography business in Lyon. When Louis, aged 17 invented an improved photographic plate, it resulted in the expansion of the business to 300 employees. The brothers developed their Cinématographe here in 1895 and made the first publicly projected moving picture, which showed workers leaving the factory. In 1899, their father built the huge Art Nouveau villa that houses the museum. They produced films and sold their technology with great success, beginning a revolution in the entertainment industry. Later they pioneered colour photography and stereoscopic cinematography. With unique collections and multimedia tools, the museum extends over three floors. The site of the factory is a garden with a wall of plaques to great film-makers. There is also an important research institute and library for the history of film.