Film pioneer George Albert Smith, inventor of Kinemacolor

Kieron Casey learns about one of the pioneers of early cinema, George Albert Smith, and has a humbling experience in our archives.George Albert Smith, one of this writer’s favourite early film-makers, is perhaps among the unluckiest men in all of cinematic history in terms of reputation.While many historians and film fans will often throw up names as diverse as Louis Le Prince, Thomas Edison, Alice Guy-Blaché and Georges Méliès as among the most important figures in the development of the moving image, Smith will often find himself overlooked.Indeed, even his invention of Kinemacolor as the first piece of technology able to successfully shoot in colour was superseded with our discovery of Edward Turner’s incredible early movies.So, who exactly was George Albert Smith and why is he such an important figure in the history of film and cinematography?Armed with curiosity, access to our archives and the expert knowledge of curator Toni Booth, I decided to investigate.Who was George Albert S...