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Originaire de la province de Hanovre (Allemagne), Wilhem (a) William Heise émigre aux États-Unis en 1869. Dès 1880, il est recensé, comme serrurier ("Locksmith") à Newark (New Jersey) où il réside encore en 1885. Dès 1890, il va être étroitement associé aux nouveaux essais engagés par Thomas A. Edison et qui conduisent à l'élaboration du kinetograph. Lors du procès qui oppose la Armat Moving Picture Co. et l'Edison Manufacturing Co., en 1902, il évoque son arrivée chez cette dernière société et la construction de la Black Maria où sont tournés, avec le kinetographe, les premières vues destinées au kinetoscope :

In October, 1890, I began work at Mr. Edison's Laboratory on moving picture apparatus and have been continuously employed on that work since, with the exception of the year before stated, when I was not in Mr. Edison's employ. At the start of my work on moving picture apparatus, I assisted Mr. W. K. L. Dickson in the construction and testing of moving picture apparatus and in the taking of photographs of moving objects. Shortly after the beginning of my work on this subject, a building was erected especially for the taking of photographs of moving objects, which building was mounted on wheels, so that it could be shifted about to get the proper light, and this building was known as the "Black Maria".

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"Affidavit of William Heise", United States Circuit Court. "Armat Moving Picture Company vs. Edison Manufacturing Company". New York, 10 décembre 1902, p. 10-11.

"The Black Maria" (c. 1893-1900) [D.P.]

Edison Laboratory employees in the laboratory courtyard, July 31, 1893, West Orange, New Jersey.
[Du haut en bas, Heise se tient debout sur le deuxième rang, il est le quatrième à partir de la droite]
Source: National Park Service [D.P.]

Il détaille ensuite sa collaboration avec W. K. L. Dickson et confirme qu'il est l'auteur de bon nombre de vues tournées avec le kinetograph :

I worked with Mr. Dickson in this building operating the camera for taking pictures and later, when Mr. Dickson left Mr. Edison's employ, I took his place in charge of the taking of photographs of moving objects and I also had charge of the developing and printing plant for developing and printing the photographs. I continued in this position until October, 1898, when I left le employ of the Edison Manufacturing Company and remained out of its employ for about a year.

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"Affidavit of William Heise", United States Circuit Court. "Armat Moving Picture Company vs. Edison Manufacturing Company". New York, 10 décembre 1902, p. 11.

Il se livre ensuite à une description précise de son travail avec le kinetograph et les bandes destinées à prendre des vues animées :

I recollect the first camera which Mr. Edison had for taking moving pictures, employing a strip of film. this is illustrated by the photographs on pages 422 to 424 of Complainant's Record in the suit of Thomas A. Edison against the American Mutoscope Company and is there called the 1889 strip Kinetograph. I, personally, took many pictures with this machine, in fact, my first work on the subject of moving pictures was with this machine.
The shutter with which this machine was provided, had six openings which had approximately the same length as the solid portions of the shutter between the openings, so that the periods of exposure were approximately equal to the periods of non-exposure of the film. The film feeding mechanism of this machine was such that the period of rest of the film was several times the period of motion. The film which this machine used was a narrow film three quarters of an inch wide and was perforated only on one edge. I built other cameras on this same principle which were designed to take a wider film, having perforations on both edges. One of these cameras was run by a motor and was built especially for taking photographs in the "Black Maria." This machine was built as early as 1891. Later and as early as 1894 I built two other cameras similar en construction which were operated by hand. In all three of these cameras the period of reste was several times the period of motion of the film. When these machines were constructed, they were provided with adjustable shutters so that the amount of opening could be adjusted for the conditions of light under which the pictures were taken.

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"Affidavit of William Heise", United States Circuit Court. "Armat Moving Picture Company vs. Edison Manufacturing Company". New York, 10 décembre 1902, p. 11-12.

Il est recensé, en 1900, à West Orange.

Il est recensé, comme photographe, en 1905, à West Orange.

Il décède, à West Orange, en 1910, d'insuffisance rénale chronique.