"The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures" by Paul Fischer

Most of us assume the motion picture camera was brought to us by Thomas Edison or the Lumiere Brothers out of France. But Paul Fischer makes a case for Louis LePrince, "a self-taught generalist" who lived in France, England and the United States.In fact, Fischer notes in his book, "The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures" that LePrince was on his way to join his family in New York to announce his invention when he mysteriously disappeared.The year was 1890 and LePrince had boarded a train headed for Paris. From there he was going to the United States where he'd already spent a number of years. But LePrince was never heard from again.His family initially assumed he was simply delayed before realizing, weeks later, that no one had any idea where he was.Shortly after LePrince's disappearance, Edison made his announcement of a movie camera that bore a striking likeness to the contraption that LePrince had spent years developing.Fischer provides plenty of history in his work, noting that LePrince not only had patents and a working model of his camera (that still exists) but photographic proof of motion film years before the Lumiere's.Other central characters in this real-life mystery include Lizzie, Louis' wife, and other members of the family. You also learn about other inventors' efforts in the late 1800s, a time of epic discovery and change.History may have forgotten LePrince but Fischer certainly hasn't and delivers a fascinating story that readers aren't likely to forget.