Significance of the Collection

The Brighton School significantly influenced film history, both nationally and internationally, and the importance of the Barnes Collection reflects this significance. Indeed, many of the film techniques developed by the Brighton School are still used in modern cinema. For instance, George Albert Smith is credited with the invention of the close-up shot and using double exposure to create special effects.

Smith also developed Kinemacolor which was the first commercially successful colour film technique. James Williamson was one of the first filmmakers to cut between different shots in order to aid narrative technique.

Charles Urban, although of American decent, is often heralded as the most significant figure in early British cinema. Urban was the driving force behind the Warwick Trading Company and helped develop the Bioscope film projector. The Warwick Trading Company focussed on documentary and news film and worked closely with two of the first war correspondents, John Benett-Stanford and Joe Rosenthal.