Do Frenchmen play Cricket?

Recently, a new-found snippet of information triggered a reassessment of the ownership and authorship of the four 1897 cricket films of the English team playing at the Association Cricket Ground in Sydney. These films, customarily attributed to the Australian photographer Henry Walter Barnett (HWB, 1862-1934), are recognised as the earliest series of cricket films produced. Unfortunately only one of them remains, and it is held by the British Film Institute.

Even so, when the the discovery of new information challenges the prevailing attribution of a creative work, archivists and curators need to seek confirmation one way or another. These days, with many more research tools available, work undertaken to confirm the facts can raise more questions than can be answered giving rise to hypotheses based on a rigorous research process. Such is the case with these four films. In consultation with colleague Simon Smith and cricket expert Glenn Gibson, we have discussed the issues at hand: how does this new information change what we know and does it alter the significance of the films? The following is an encapsulation of our findings.

Detective work

In the first instance it is important to gather all known published cited research. In this case, the 1990s essays by Chris Long, ‘Australia’s First Films: Facts and Fables Part IV: Our Forgotten Production Pioneers’ and ‘Part V: Indigenous Production Begins’ (in Cinema Papers nos 94 and 95 respectively), are essential reading. Amongst his many references and key points, Long had acquired copies of the copyright registrations for the films from the National Archives. Following his lead, we did the same and, while a new light was shed on the authorship and ownership, the documents no longer provide an irrevocable truth.

When the films screened in Australia in March 1898 they were attributed to Falk Studios Melbourne and not directly to HWB. Paper print images of the films are indistinct but clearly show the films were shot on Lumiere Brothers film stock. Prior to leaving for England, HWB left his business in the hands of his siblings Charles and Phoebe who ran the Melbourne Falk business. HWB was the owner of Falk Studios Melbourne in name only.

Georges Boivin – world’s first cricket filmmaker?

The following seems a reasonable hypothesis in determining what may have occurred. Beginning work in London HWB buys his supplies from Fuerst Brothers, who are agents for Lumiere Brothers photographic products including their cinematographe. Establishing HWB’s credentials with film production when the option to film the cricket match arose, Fuerst and HWB combine to undertake the work. The Falk Studio may have had its own cinematographe, or Fuerst Brothers made one available, which Charles operated, given his participation in the 1896 Melbourne Cup films. Long’s work confirms other people were making films at this time in Australia including Ernest J Thwaites, AJ Perier and Mark Blow. When Sestier left Australia in May 1897 he had sold a minimum of four Lumiere Brothers cinématographes including to his friend and French émigré Georges Boivin. Boivin had already toured through New Caledonia and Queensland with his business partners Auguste Plane and Charles Lomet between April and September 1897.

Without any conclusive documentation I’d like to suggest that Boivin is possibly another cinematographer for these cricket films. At the time of the English cricket tour in Sydney he was the only person presenting a Lumiere Brothers cinématographe to the public. Perhaps Boivin was contracted by Charles Barnett to film the cricket, or perhaps he dry-hired his cinématographe to Falk. But would a Frenchman have any interest in filming cricket – the most English of sports? Did Frenchmen even play cricket at that time in Australia? Does this change the significance of the films? The answer is yes, yes – and no.