Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, Film history museum at University of Exeter, England
The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum is a collection of over 80,000 objects documenting how film evolved from early optical devices to modern technology. Located on the University of Exeter campus, it displays equipment, archives, and memorabilia that illustrate this development.
The museum was founded in 1997 with the collection of filmmaker Bill Douglas and Peter Jewell, which has grown significantly through donations over the years. The holdings reach back to the 17th century, including objects related to optical entertainment before modern cinema existed.
The museum displays how people developed techniques to show movement and light through collections of equipment and memorabilia displayed in two public galleries. Visitors see how these methods changed over time and shaped the way stories are told today.
The museum is located on the Streatham Campus of the university and offers free entry to visitors throughout the week. Plan to spend time exploring the galleries, as the extensive collection rewards a slower pace of viewing.
The collection includes original production archives from British filmmakers and 17th-century artifacts showing the origins of optical entertainment. These early objects demonstrate how people developed techniques to show movement long before cinema was invented.
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