Techical Innovation in Entertainment

In 1889 William Friese-Greene (1855 - 1921), who was a partner in a local photographic business, built a 'chronophotographic camera' and applied for a patent on his invention. And so the town's role in the origins of British cinema began.

While these early beginnings did not bear fruit in the shape of a modern film industry, the connection with cinema has remained through the many actors and actresses who have lived in the town, for example, Laurence Olivier, Flora Robinson, and Diana Dors. Sir Ralph Richardson started his acting career at the Little Theatre in Clarence Gardens.

This section will examine the place of cinema in our city life.