Places Where Cinema History Comes Alive: Film Museums and Exhibitions

There is something special about encountering cinema history in person. From early experiments with photography and motion studies, to the development of projection technology, national cinemas and the stories behind the screen, film museums and permanent exhibitions offer a chance to experience cinema history beyond the films themselves.

Over the years I have visited a number of fascinating collections, from local exhibitions celebrating cinema pioneers to internationally recognised museums exploring the evolution of film. Each offers a different perspective on cinema: the technology, the creativity, the people who made films and the audiences who experienced them.

Ones I’ve visited…

United Kingdom: worth making a trip to

Cinema Museum, Kennington, London

A treasure trove of cinema-going history, with historic theatre seats, projection equipment, posters, photographs and memorabilia. What makes it particularly special is that it celebrates not just films but the experience of going to the cinema itself. Check out their What's On pages for film events.

Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, Exeter

One of the most impressive collections of cinema history I have visited. The museum houses an extensive archive of posters, cameras, projectors and film-related ephemera, exploring the development of the moving image and the culture that grew around it. They also have a large library and further resources for researchers.

Hove Museum of Creativity, Hove

A fascinating collection exploring the Brighton and Hove Film Pioneers and the development of early film and projection technology. It is a reminder of the important role Sussex played in the early history of cinema.

United Kingdom: if you are in the area

Marlipins Museum, Shoreham

A small but fascinating exhibition exploring Shoreham’s early film industry, including the film-making activity that took place on Shoreham Beach in the early twentieth century.

Kingston Museum, Kingston upon Thames

Home to the Eadweard Muybridge collection, including his pioneering motion studies and photographic experiments. A fascinating glimpse into the early attempts to capture movement and the developments that helped lead towards cinema.

Mainland Europe: worth making a trip to

Italy

Cinecittà Studios, Rome

A visit to one of the most famous film studios in the world, exploring the history of Italian cinema and the process of film production. The site includes exhibitions on figures such as Federico Fellini and offers an insight into the relationship between studios, filmmakers and the films created there.

Museo Nazionale del Cinema, Turin

One of the most memorable film museums I have visited. Housed inside the Mole Antonelliana, the museum takes visitors through the history of cinema, from early optical devices and magic lanterns through to modern special effects and immersive technology. The building itself adds to the experience, with the exhibition rising upwards through the history of the moving image.

Germany

Deutsche Kinemathek: Museum of Film and Television, Berlin

A fascinating exploration of German film and television history, covering more than a century of cinema alongside the development of television. The collection combines artefacts, archive material, interactive displays and screenings to tell the story of Germany’s screen culture.

Future cinema history adventures…

There are many more film museums and exhibitions around the world that I hope to visit in the future. These include:

United Kingdom

• National Science and Media Museum, Bradford

• Kent MOMI, Deal

France

• Cinémathèque Française, Paris

• Musée Méliès, Paris

• Musée Lumière, Lyon
  

Spain

• Museu del Cinema, Girona

Portugal

• Cinemateca Portuguesa, Lisbon

Switzerland

• Chaplin’s World, Corsier-sur-Vevey

Czechia

• Barrandov Studios Tour, Prague

• Karel Zeman Museum, Prague

Poland

• Łódź Film Museum

• The Łódź Trail of the UNESCO City of Film

Austria

• The Third Man Museum, Vienna

Germany

• Filmmuseum Potsdam, Potsdam

• Museum für Film und Fernsehen, Frankfurt (DFF)

Netherlands

• Eye Filmmuseum, Amsterdam

USA

• Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI), New York

• George Eastman Museum, Rochester, New York

• Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles

• Hollywood Heritage Museum, Los Angeles

Cinema is not just about the films themselves. It is also about the technology that made them possible, the people who created them, the places where they were shown and the audiences who experienced them.

These museums and exhibitions preserve that wider story, allowing us to explore cinema not just as an art form but as a cultural history.

Recommendations for future additions are always welcome!

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