Press Officer Rick Purnell writes (with assistance from Steve Jellyman)….

Steve Jellyman, a retired Television /Film Cameraman was Teignmouth Mens Probus Club’s March speaker. Steve started his career with the BBC London Studios in 1965, he progressed through a wide variety of worldwide productions until retiring in 2011. His interest has always been in the history of the Cinema, and throughout the years has collected a wide variety of Pre-cinema artifacts, such as Magic Lanterns, Zoetropes, Praxinoscope, Lumière Kinora Machines, cameras, etc, etc.

His Talk "Archaeology of the Cinema" was an illustrated history of the Cinema, from the early days of Magic Lantern shows in the 1800's, through to the early 1900's. It tells the story of early Optical Toys, and pioneers Edison in the USA, the Lumière brothers and Alice Guy in France, and little known R W Paul in the UK. The talk concluded with the wonderful 1902 example 'Voyage to the Moon' by Frenchman George Melies and a film by Mark Kermode (also a film historian) telling Probus members about the most wonderful Bill Douglas Cinema Museum in Exeter University Campus. It has a fascinating collection of historic cinema 'paraphernalia', and is open to the public, well worth a visit and only 16 miles from Teignmouth!

Steve’s Vote of Thanks reflected the appreciation he stimulated in the earliest days of cinematography.