The Times/1929/News/The history of the cinematograph

That part of the Will Day collection of cinematograph equipment which is on exhibition at the Science Museum, South Kensington, is likely to be withdrawn shortly. Messrs. Harris and Gillow state that they have instructions to offer the whole collection for sale. It is a large collection, not more than one-fifth having been exhibited at South Kensington, and Mr. Will Day, the owner, has been anxious for some time to have it exhibited as a whole.

This is an interesting collection, tracing the history of the cinematograph and including various sidelines such as optical projection, which belong to a period before cinematography. Most of the items, therefore, belong to the last century. Every branch of the history is represented, and the collection may be said to be almost complete, and includes books, papers lanterns, slides, projectors, films, illuminants, moving pictures, and optical illusions. The whole, if put on exhibition, would probably occupy three or four large rooms. The Science Museum has been unable to accept the whole for display because of it deals with sidelines, and the policy of the museum is to illustrate only the main stages in the development of such an invention.