Kinora reel: man and two women drinking wine

Invented by the Lumiere brothers in 1896, the Kinora was a popular home entertainment due to its compact size. It worked as an automated flipbook, in a similar way to the much larger Mutoscope. In 1902 Kinora Limited in London produced their first Kinorascope, which were sold until 1914 when the factory burned down and the fall in sales prevented it from being rebuilt. This Kinora reel shows a smartly dressed young man sat beside two young women. While laughing, they each take turns to drink from a wine bottle that they pass to each other, and eat from a napkin. In 1908 Kinora Limited introduced the first amateur Kinora camera, with which customers could create images for their own Kinora reels. This reel may be one such example.

Part of the Bill Douglas and Peter Jewell Collection