Thomas Edison patents the first functional motion picture camera

On August 24, 1891, American inventor Thomas Edison filed a patent for the kinetograph, the first functional motion picture camera, and the kinetoscope, a device for viewing films. Developed alongside his assistant William Dickson, this invention laid the foundation for modern cinema by introducing the 35mm perforated celluloid film standard.

While the kinetograph captured moving images, the kinetoscope was designed for individual viewing through a specialized eyepiece. Large-scale public projection was later developed by the Lumière brothers. The technology's early development included the construction of the ‘Black Maria’ studio in New Jersey in 1893.