The Forgotten Father of Cinema: Louis Le Prince and His Disappearance
Louis Le Prince is considered to be one of the pioneers of motion picture technology, as he was the first person to film moving images. In the late 1880s, Le Prince used his single-lens camera to capture a series of short films, including “Roundhay Garden Scene” and “Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge.” These films, which were only a few seconds long, were considered to be the first motion pictures ever made.
However, Le Prince’s contributions to the world of cinema were soon overshadowed by a man who would become one of the most famous inventors of all time: Thomas Edison. In 1890, Le Prince disappeared without a trace, leav
The 19th Century Ring Gun
Ring of fire: Tiny rare pistol up for auction
Features 4mm six-shot pinfire cylinder.
Long before James Bond's ingenious cigarette gun, ski pole gun, and yes, even bagpipe gun -- there was the real-life "Le Petit Protector."
Scarcely larger than a fingernail, this unusual 19th century pistol was mounted on a metal band and worn on the finger, much like a jeweled ring...continue reading visit link
The first official photograph taken of a Battle Tank going into action, a British Mark I at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette - September 15, 1916
The crewman shown is wearing a leather tank helmet, note the steering tail at the rear of the vehicle which disappeared in later models.
These early tanks were slow and unreliable, shown by the fact that of the 49 tanks deployed for the battle only 25 actually moved forward at the start of the attack.
British Tanks in WW1 were the result of the “Landship Committee” which was formed in February 1915 to develop armoured fighting vehicles...continue reading visit link
Walter Sharpe - for a robbery/murder.
At 10 a.m. on Wednesday the 16th of November 1949, two youths entered “Albion Watch Depot” a small jeweler’s shop at 132 Albion Street, Leeds, owned 49 year old Abraham Harry Levine.
They demanded all the money he had in the shop but Abraham declined to give it to them and grabbed Walter Sharpe and tussled with him until the other lad hit Abraham over the head with the butt of a 38 calibre Colt revolver. Abraham still wouldn’t let go until he was shot twice. The pair then ran out into the street, empty handed, scattering passers by with shots into the air.
Abraham also staggered into the street where he collapsed. He was taken to Leeds Royal Infi
The Lost Saber Mine:
In the fall of 1876, a successful business man from Georgia named John Saber, arrived in Prescott Arizona to try his luck in gold mining.
John Saber purchased numerous mining claims along Lynx Creek but he didn't care much for how crowded the place was, and he wanted to find a place that might produce better gold than Lynx Creek.
By the Spring of 1877, Saber set off alone from Prescott into the dangerous Bradshaw Mountains with only his horse and a pack mule with few supplies and a bulk of mining equipment. Within a month he returned in town with two saddle bag's full of beautiful quartz laced with gold.
1944 - Defiant French Resistance member Georges Blind smiling in front of a German execution squad.
This was a mock execution attempting to get the resistance fighter, Georges Blind, to talk. It didn’t work. Georges did not divulge any information.
It’s interesting how they’ve placed him at the corner of the building rather than against the stereotypical flat wall. It must make ricochet injuries to the firing squad members much less likely. Of course this was a mock execution, but most likely they used the same site for real executions.
Georges Blind was eventually forwarded to a concentration camp, where he was selected for termination on arrival, dying some time in late November 1944