How the Movie Camera Failed to Become Part of the Standard Astronomical Observational Toolkit (1895–1914)

Abstract

A series of technological developments driven both by scientific pursuits, particularly Étienne-Jules Marey’s motion studies, and commercial reasons led to the birth of Lumières’ 1895 ‘cinematographe’. Its ability to automatically record a sequence of photographic images had previously been attained by Jules Janssen’s photographic revolver, an instrument developed to time with high precision the contact instants of the 1874 transit of Venus. While with this pedigree one might expect a rich use of movie cameras in astronomical observations after 1895, current historical accounts of the development of both cinema and astronomy usually cite none. Is this due to historiographical reasons and/or the new technology failed to become part of the astronomers’ observational toolkit? Analysing all astronomical movies attempted or shot between 1895 and 1914, we concluded that the low usage of movie cameras in this time period was a consequence of a lack of suitable observable subjects and the small film frames used. While new technological apparatus may open unexpected lines of scientific enquiry, they must also struggle to find a place and function against already established ones. It was precisely this inability to stand out that led to the astronomical moving pictures’ fate as a rarely used and indeed seldom useful technique.