Léon Ernest Gaumont (French:[ɡomɔ̃]; 10 May 1864 – 10 August 1946) was a French inventor, engineer, and industrialist who was a pioneer of the motion picture industry. He founded the world's oldest operating film studio, Gaumont Film Company, and worked in partnership with Solax Studios.
Léon Ernest Gaumont, born in Paris was gifted with a mechanical mind which led him to employment manufacturing precision instruments. From early childhood, he was fascinated by the technique of photography. When he was offered a job at the Comptoir géneral de photographie in 1893, he jumped at the opportunity. His decision proved fortunate when two years later he was given the chance to acquire the business. In August 1895, he partnered with the astronomer Joseph Vallot, the famous engineer Gustave Eiffel, and the financier Alfred Besnier to make the purchase. Their business entity, called L. Gaumont et Cie, has survived in one form or another to become the world's oldest surviving film company extant. The company logo was the distinctive "Marguerite" (named after his mother), a type of flower similar to the daisy. The company had extensive studios (Cité Elgé) in the Buttes-Chaumont District of Paris, and a smaller operation in Nice, France.
Leon Gaumont was married to Camille Louise Maillard (1860-1933)on 4 June 1888. They had five children: Charles, Jeanne, Raymond, Helene, and Louis.
Léon Gaumont's company sold camera equipment and film, but in 1897 inaugurated a motion picture production business. Initially, Gaumont made films for the picture arcade business such as those operated by the Lumière brothers, but it was under the direction of Alice Guy (Gaumont's secretary - First Woman Film Director), that they began making short films based on narrative scripts. Louis Feuillade (Judex, Les Vampires, Fantômas) was to follow as the Studio Director when Guy left for Fort, Lee, New Jersey in 1912, where she subsequently opened her own production company—Solax Studios— and it was then that Gaumont rapidly expanded the business into cinematographic equipment for amateurs. Within a few years, Gaumont's company ranked second only to Pathé Frères in the field of French Cinema. In 1903, Gaumont was granted patents for his Chronophonographe and loudspeaker system designed to work with his sound-on-disc talking pictures: the chronophone. The Etablissements Gaumont was founded in 1906 to handle film production and distribution, plus to operate a chain of movie theaters, including the giant Gaumont Palace (1912) (Place Clichy - former "Hippodrome) in Paris (largest in the world at the time - 6,000 seats). By 1910 Léon Gaumont had improved his synchronous sound invention to the point where he was able to provide enough volume to be heard by up to 4000 people in a theater. In 1912, Gaumont developed a color process for film.
1930's Gaumont Kalee film Projector, Cinema Museum London
As one of the two dominant forces in film in all of Europe (the other being Charles Pathé), World War I profoundly affected Leon Gaumont's business fortunes. He hired over 300 additional employees, in spite of the fact that Nitrate Emulsion film stocks dwindled because of the need for nitro-cellulose in the munitions industry. Nevertheless, before retiring in 1930, he had built one of the most important film companies in cinema history.
Upon his retirement to Provence, a restructuring of corporate ownership took place through financing provided by the Banque Nationale de Crédit and with a capital stock issue in the name of a new company called Gaumont-Franco-Film-Aubert (GFFA). Four years later, a scandal erupted following the collapse of the Banque Nationale de Crédit and GFFA was forced to file for bankruptcy protection.
Death and legacyedit
Léon Gaumont died on 9 August 1946 in Sainte-Maxime-sur-Mèr, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, and was buried in the Cimetière de Belleville in Paris. In 1995, on the 100th anniversary of French film, a commemorative silver 100 Franc coin was issued with Léon Gaumont's image.
Referencesedit
François Garçon, Gaumont: Un siècle de cinéma, Gallimard, 1994.
January 01, 1970
léon, gaumont, this, article, includes, list, references, related, reading, external, links, sources, remain, unclear, because, lacks, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, december, 2009, learn, when, . This article includes a list of references related reading or external links but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations December 2009 Learn how and when to remove this message Leon Ernest Gaumont French ɡomɔ 10 May 1864 10 August 1946 was a French inventor engineer and industrialist who was a pioneer of the motion picture industry He founded the world s oldest operating film studio Gaumont Film Company and worked in partnership with Solax Studios Leon GaumontGaumont in June 1920BornLeon Ernest Gaumont 1864 05 10 10 May 1864Paris FranceDied10 August 1946 1946 08 10 aged 82 Sainte Maxime FranceResting placeCimetiere de BellevilleOccupation s Engineer inventor film makerYears active1893 1945SpouseCamille Louise MaillardBiography editLeon Ernest Gaumont born in Paris was gifted with a mechanical mind which led him to employment manufacturing precision instruments From early childhood he was fascinated by the technique of photography When he was offered a job at the Comptoir general de photographie in 1893 he jumped at the opportunity His decision proved fortunate when two years later he was given the chance to acquire the business In August 1895 he partnered with the astronomer Joseph Vallot the famous engineer Gustave Eiffel and the financier Alfred Besnier to make the purchase Their business entity called L Gaumont et Cie has survived in one form or another to become the world s oldest surviving film company extant The company logo was the distinctive Marguerite named after his mother a type of flower similar to the daisy The company had extensive studios Cite Elge in the Buttes Chaumont District of Paris and a smaller operation in Nice France Leon Gaumont was married to Camille Louise Maillard 1860 1933 on 4 June 1888 They had five children Charles Jeanne Raymond Helene and Louis Leon Gaumont s company sold camera equipment and film but in 1897 inaugurated a motion picture production business Initially Gaumont made films for the picture arcade business such as those operated by the Lumiere brothers but it was under the direction of Alice Guy Gaumont s secretary First Woman Film Director that they began making short films based on narrative scripts Louis Feuillade Judex Les Vampires Fantomas was to follow as the Studio Director when Guy left for Fort Lee New Jersey in 1912 where she subsequently opened her own production company Solax Studios and it was then that Gaumont rapidly expanded the business into cinematographic equipment for amateurs Within a few years Gaumont s company ranked second only to Pathe Freres in the field of French Cinema In 1903 Gaumont was granted patents for his Chronophonographe and loudspeaker system designed to work with his sound on disc talking pictures the chronophone The Etablissements Gaumont was founded in 1906 to handle film production and distribution plus to operate a chain of movie theaters including the giant Gaumont Palace 1912 Place Clichy former Hippodrome in Paris largest in the world at the time 6 000 seats By 1910 Leon Gaumont had improved his synchronous sound invention to the point where he was able to provide enough volume to be heard by up to 4000 people in a theater In 1912 Gaumont developed a color process for film nbsp 1930 s Gaumont Kalee film Projector Cinema Museum London As one of the two dominant forces in film in all of Europe the other being Charles Pathe World War I profoundly affected Leon Gaumont s business fortunes He hired over 300 additional employees in spite of the fact that Nitrate Emulsion film stocks dwindled because of the need for nitro cellulose in the munitions industry Nevertheless before retiring in 1930 he had built one of the most important film companies in cinema history Upon his retirement to Provence a restructuring of corporate ownership took place through financing provided by the Banque Nationale de Credit and with a capital stock issue in the name of a new company called Gaumont Franco Film Aubert GFFA Four years later a scandal erupted following the collapse of the Banque Nationale de Credit and GFFA was forced to file for bankruptcy protection Death and legacy editLeon Gaumont died on 9 August 1946 in Sainte Maxime sur Mer in the Provence Alpes Cote d Azur region of France and was buried in the Cimetiere de Belleville in Paris In 1995 on the 100th anniversary of French film a commemorative silver 100 Franc coin was issued with Leon Gaumont s image References editFrancois Garcon Gaumont Un siecle de cinema Gallimard 1994 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Leon Gaumont amp oldid 1219476440, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
