Information and discussion on all aspects of British photographic history

NMeM major early colour film discovery

The BBC is showing a programme about a major discovery of early colour film made at the National Media Museum by curator of film Michael Harvey. Movies were a wonder of the Edwardian age, but they were only in black and white. With a fortune waiting for whoever could invent moving colour images, a desperate race began to be the first, with back stabbing businessmen, amazing engineering and a tragic death all involved.

Now, researchers at the National Media Museum in Bradford have made a remarkable discovery that rewrites film history. Brighton may have been the Hollywood of the Edwardian age, but the question is: who actually came first in the race for colour?

Broadcaster, journalist and film critic Antonia Quirke follows the National Media Museum's astonishing discovery, and looks back at the history of the colour film industry.

See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mw0cl The programme shows on Monday 17 September 2012, 7.30-8.00pm in the South East and Yorkshire regions only and on the BBC iPlayer.

Image: Lee and Turner three-colour projector from the National Media Museum collection.