For movie buffs, this is where it all started.

Le Cinématographe was born in Rue du Premier-Film, in the center of the Monplaisir district of Lyon, where today only the hangar of the factory and the Villa Lumière remain, which stands out for its imposing silhouette. The Lumière Museum pays homage to Louis and Auguste and presents their most beautiful inventions in the elegant furnishings of the family home, including ornate ceilings, a monumental staircase and a glass roof in the winter garden.

The invention of the cinema

Thanks to the Cinématographe, the Lumière brothers were able to record movement and above all to project moving images on a screen: cinema was born. The centerpiece of the museum, Cinematograph No. 1 is the device used for the first public screening on December 28, 1895.

Image credits:

Cover image: Hangar: © Institut Lumière / Photo JL Mège

Images of the spaces: 1) Villa: © Institut Lumière / Photo JL Mège; 2) Villa nuit: © Institut Lumière / Photo A. Guillemaud; 3) Cinématographe: © Marie Perrin - Lyon Tourisme et Congrès - 4) Hangar: © Institut Lumière / Photo JL Mège; 5) Sortie d'usine: © Institut Lumière; 6) Arroseur arrosé: © Institut Lumière - 7) Repas de famille / Autochrome: © Institut Lumière