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At the close of the 19th century, the Lumières decided to settle in the rural neighbourhood of Monplaisir. Slowly but surely, the factory developed, effectively creating a real Lumière Quarter. Antoine and his sons also built their residences here, at a time when the bourgeoisie lived in the city centre. In the 20th century, the Lumières were the heartbeat of Monplaisir, and this stayed true right up until the end of the 1960s. Then, everything was destroyed, except for the Lumière Villa and an old abandoned Warehouse. Today, cinema lovers have seen to the erection of a new Lumière Quarter, one that moves to the rhythm of the Lumière Institute, filmmakers, and the public alike.
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THE LUMIÈRE VILLA
The inhabitants of Monplaisir used to call it “Lumière Castle”. Antoine Lumière, father of Louis and Auguste, who had a history of building imposing residences (Evian, La Ciotat, etc.), made this Villa his final architectural creation: it was inaugurated in 1902.
Antoine lived here until his death in 1911.
It was home to the Lumière Company until the late 1960s. The Winter Garden can be found on the ground floor, while the top floor was the painting workshop and now serves as the documentation centre. Any visit to the Lumière Museum should start with a tour of the Lumière Villa.
THE PORCH
Horses and cars from the public square would pass through the porch to enter the family property. Some of Monplaisir’s residents can still recall Marguerite Lumière, Auguste’s widow, going out in the Hispano-Suiza that her husband had specially designed so that she could get in without having to remove her opera hat. In a fitting reminder of its former role, the porch now serves as the new entrance to the Lumière museum.
THE PARK
The Park that surrounds the Lumière Villa and links the family residence with the Warehouse, is a place for relaxation. Here you can also discover “Inventor’s Alley”, a tribute to the Lumières’ predecessors whose previous systems paved the way for the creation of the Cinematograph.
THE FIRST FILM WAREHOUSE
This Warehouse was the first ever “set” in the history of Cinematography and appears in the background of the film La Sortie des usines Lumière (Workers leaving the Lumière Factory). In times gone by this was the main hub of the factory, and it just barely escaped demolition in the late 1960s before being left to stand alone on an unremarkable piece of land for two decades. The Warehouse is now classified as a historical monument. The cinema is located here, and it also features a reception hall, an exhibition centre, and a bar.
CINEMATOGRAPH SQUARE
In March 1895, opposite the factory and on the other side of what was then called Rue Chemin Saint-Victor, the Lumière brothers set up their new invention: the Cinematograph. From this location outside the building and in front of the factory’s boiler rooms, they filmed La Sortie des usines Lumière (Workers leaving the Lumière Factory). “Cinematograph Square” is marked out by two rows of lights that delineate the camera’s shooting angle.
THE CINEMA THEATRE
Inaugurated in 1998, the 270-seat cinema theatre was built in an extension of the restored First Film Warehouse. Today, viewers enter the cinema at the very place where workers used to exit the factories in 1895. In another piece of symbolism, the first stone of this theatre was laid during the celebrations of the centenary of cinema in 1995 and was witnessed by filmmakers who had come from all over the world.
FILMMAKERS’ WALL
On 23 September 1992, upon arrival at the Lumière Institute, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, director of The barefoot Contessa, exclaimed simply “Thank You Lumière!” Filmmakers have been making the pilgrimage to Rue du Premier Film since 1983, and the Lumière Institute has taken the care to preserve the memory of their visits: “Filmmakers’ Wall” is now adorned with the names of an impressive array of directors.
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