Edward George TURNER

(Londres, 1871-Londres, 1961)

turner edward george portrait 03

Jean-Claude SEGUIN

1

Joseph Purvis Turner (Whaley, [1835]-Londres, 30/01/1902) épouse Lucy Ray Woods (Tower Hamlets, 22/08/1830-1874). Descendance:

  • Francis William Turner (1864-)
  • Lucy Turner (1865-)
  • William Purvis (1868-)
  • Joseph Turner (1869-)
  • Edward George Turner (Londres, 27/031871-Londres, 17/04/1961)
    • épouse (Hackney, 23/11/1893) Julia Ann Godwin (Elmbridge, [1865]-Londres, 28/02/1929). Descendance:
      • Winifred May Turner (Londres, 1885 -1980) épouse Fred Whitchalls (1893-1970)
        • fille
        • fils
      • Ethel Grace Turner (Londres, [20/11/1896]-[Londres 28/01/1968])
      • Minnie Frances Turner (Londres, 22/03/1904-Cambridge, 02/2001) épouse (Londres20/10/1928) Ivan James Sharp (1897-1943). Descendance:
        • Maurren Winifred Elizabeth Sharp (1934-2021)
        • Brian Ivan Sharp (1937-1978)
    • épouse (Hackney, 23/09/1933) Winifred Mary Bulman (1899-)

2

Fils d'un chapelier, il est né dans le quartier de Newington de Londres (recensement 1871). Il est lui-même coiffeur au moment de son mariage (1893) avec Julia Ann, veuve avec deux enfants.

turner edward george portrait 04
Edward George Turner (c. 1890)

The North American Animated Picture Company (1896-1901)

En 1896, Edward G. Turner rejoint James D. Walker qui pendant quelque temps a exploité un kinetoscope en Angleterre. Les deux hommes vont faire l'acquisition d'un cinématographe Wrench:

In 1896 he was joined by Mr. E. G. Turner, and together they opened offices at 111, Great Eastern Street, E.C., when they very soon found themselves doing a brisk business in the first machine ever put out by Messrs. Wrench, selling in all some 4,000 of these machines...


"J. D. Walker's World's Films, Limited", The Bioscope, 12 mars 1914, p. 1117

La version donnée par Edward George Turner corrobore ces informations :

The First Posters
At this period our office was at my private address at 111, Great Eastern Street, E.C., and we started out under the grand title of The North American Animated Picture Company. Our entertainment consisted of animated pictures, and Edison’s phonograph.
Our first poster invited the public to view “The World’s Wonder – THE CINEMATOGRAPH, by which the Public would see Trains in Actual Motion coming to rest at Platforms and Passengers Alighting – Trees Gracefully bending in the Wind – Waves breaking on the Sea-shore, and the Fattest and Thinnest Wrestlers in the World would go through their Performance in Animated Photography – Also Edison’s marvellous invention, the giant Phonograph”. We invited the public to come, and not only hear this instrument, but have their voices recorded and reproduced before the audience.


Edward, George TURNER , "From 1896 to 1926", Kinematograph Weekly, 17 juin, p. 53.

D'autres déclarations permettent de mieux comprendre les relations qui s'établissent entre Turner et Alfred Wrench au moment de l'achat d'un cinématographe, en septembre 1896:  

These [appareils Lumière et Paul] were the only kind of cinematographs to be obtained until September, 1896, when Messrs. John Wrench and Son, 50, Gravy’s Inn Road, produced their famous 100A machine. This machine carried 3 in. spools, and the first one sold by Messrs. Wrench was purchased by Mr. Walker and myself in September, 1896. This machine was complete; it had spool arms and spools, and the film was rewound on to the bottom spool after passing through the machine, as is done to-day. No cinematograph had a fireproof shutter until the advent of the 100B machine in October, 1897. This machine carried 5 in. spools and also rewound the films on the bottom spool arm. This was the machine that I mentioned in my interview, wherein I stated I had a conversation with Messrs. John Wrench, asking why the fire-proof shutter could not be interposed between the film and the light, when the film was stationary in the gate. The 100B, with its first automatic direct driven shutter was the out-come of my conversation with Mr. John Wrench. Mr. Walker and I purchased this machine, as we did every first machine of a new type made by Messrs. Wrench up to four years ago.
[...]
E.G. TURNER.


The Bioscope, mars-juin 1914, p. 99-101.

L'intérêt de l'article réside également dans la description des modèles 100A et 100B. En novembre 1896, les premières séances de la North American Animated Picture Co. sont alors organisées à Guildford et Godalming. Au cours de leurs différentes tournées, les programmes sont essentiellement composés de vues provenant de chez Maguire & Baucus, Lumière, Paul, Birt Acres... Pourtant, des difficultés financières se font jour et l'avenir ne semble pas très favorable :

On the last day of the old year 1896, three unhappy men met to discuss ways and means for carrying on or closing down-the three men being J. D. Walker, Mackie and E. G. Turner. Mackie was demonstrator or operator, Walker was lecturer, and myself manager and treasurer-the latter office being a mere sinecure, as there were no funds to treasure, and I had to draw upon private means to pay our way.
As the bells announced the birth of a New Year 1897, we closed the books of the North American Animated Picture Company reorganised our finances by my agreeing to provide £100 (which I hoped to borrow and which I succeeded in doing) Walker agreed to take half-share, and pay for his share as and when the business permitted, and Mackie withdrew as it looked an almost hopeless proposition.


Edward, George TURNER , "From 1896 to 1926", Kinematograph Weekly, 17 juin, p. 53.

L'année 1897 ne va pourtant pas entraver leur  désir de poursuivre l'exploitation cinématographique et quelques mois plus tard, ils disposent de trois appareils, dont l'un d'eux sous la responsabilité de Mary Jane Doran, épouse de James D. Walker :

The Fist Woman Operator
At the end of 1897 we had three machines working. Walker operated one, myself the second, and the third was handled by Mrs. Walker handled the mixed gas jet and operated, and she can claim without fear of contradiction to be the first woman operator in the world. She is still in business as managing director of the Empire Cinema Watford.


Edward, George TURNER , "From 1896 to 1926", Kinematograph Weekly, 17 juin, p. 54.

C'est à cette époque que les bureaux de l'entreprise sont transférés à plusieurs reprises :

Soon we moved our offices to the second floor of Wrench's premises at 50, Gray's Inn Road, and after nine to twelve months we shifted our quartiers to Nos 77 and 78, High Holborn.


Edward, George TURNER , "From 1896 to 1926", Kinematograph Weekly, 24 juin, p. 40.

De nombreux opérateurs vont par la suite prêter main forte à l'entreprise: Chas. Harper, C. H. Coles, W. M. Morgan, "Baby" Morgan, E. T. Williams, Jack Herbert, E. Mason, J. Gardiner, George Palmer, W. W. Nethercote, A. Malcolm, W. Walker, F. Hull, H. Luner, Joe Shaw, Harry Last, F. Haward, Will Turner, T. Bosi...

C'est vers 1897 qu'Harry Dawson, qui exerce alors le métier d'instituteur,  va à la rencontre de James D. Walker et  Edward G. Turner, afin d'intégrer l'entreprise :

When we moved to High Holborn, a school master by the name of G. H. J. Dawson, who used to hire films from us, purchased a third interest in ou business, and henceforth we were known as Walker, Turner, and Dawson.


Edward, George TURNER , "From 1896 to 1926", Kinematograph Weekly, 24 juin 1926, p. 40.

Désormais le sort des trois collaborateurs est scellé. Au fil des mois, l'affaire prospère et l'entreprise arrive à employer une vingtaine d'opérateurs. La société déménage à nouveau ses bureaux du 77.78 High Holborn au 3, Dane Street. 

Dans le recensement de 1901, Edward G. Turner figure comme "cinematographist".

The Walturdaw (1904-)

L'arrivée d'un quatrième collaborateur

 

walker james twalturdawbioscopebann
Publicité pour la "Warturdaw"
walker james electric bioscope walker james walturdaw cinematograph
The electric bioscope
"Walterdaw"
Walterdaw cinematograph

 

Au recensement de 1911, deux de ses fille travaille avec lui dans une "bioscope industrie".

Reply to Mr P. A. Reed re First Automatic Shutter.
Mr. R. W. Paul made and used the first cinematograph in England in January or early in February of the year 1896, and drew enormous crowds to the Alhambra, Leicester square. Mr. Trewey, the French juggler, brought over from Paris, Lumiere’s machine to the Empire, Leicester Square, about seven or fourteen days later. (Messrs. Paul and Lumiere were both working on a projecting machine at the same time, and it was a question as to who got his machine on the market first.) These were the only kind of cinematographs to be obtained until September, 1896, when Messrs. John Wrench and Son, 50, Gravy’s Inn Road, produced their famous 100A machine. This machine carried 3 in. spools, and the first one sold by Messrs. Wrench was purchased by Mr. Walker and myself in September, 1896. This machine was complete; it had spool arms and spools, and the film was rewound on to the bottom spool after passing through the machine, as is done to-day. No cinematograph had a fireproof shutter until the advent of the 100B machine in October, 1897. This machine carried 5 in. spools and also rewound the films on the bottom spool arm. This was the machine that I mentioned in my interview, wherein I stated I had a conversation with Messrs. John Wrench, asking why the fire-proof shutter could not be interposed between the film and the light, when the film was stationary in the gate. The 100B, with its first automatic direct driven shutter was the out-come of my conversation with Mr. John Wrench. Mr. Walker and I purchased this machine, as we did every first machine of a new type made by Messrs. Wrench up to four years ago.

Reply to Mr. A. Barthram re Fireproof Spool Boxes.
Both Paul's and Lumiere’s original cinematographs certainly had a receptacle on the top spool arm which held about 80 ft. of film, but by no stretch of imagination could it be called a fireproof spool box such as we know to-day, and to which I referred in my interview. It was a receptacle for the film, as at that time (February, March and April of 1896) there were no spools, and the films were put in loose and revolved on a ferrule. The first spool box as we know them was made of mahogany by Mr. Holmes, of Church Road, Essex Road, and used by him on his "Matograph” for many years before the authorities made them compulsory. Mr. Holmes could claim to be absolutely the first man to consistently use a safety device of a spool box for years before any other exhibitor, only his box was made out of mahogany. At the time Mr. Holmes was making his box we were also experimenting, and I have a receipt from a tinsmith of Old Street, City Road, which reads as follows :—
111, Great Eastern Street. London.
To making two 5 1/2 in. metal boxes with slits covered with velvet for cinematograph machine ... 35s.
These were fitted on to the machine, but whilst they acted perfectly they were awkward to use and we discarded them. I took these boxes to Mr. John Wrench and showed them to him, and he made, I believe, a pair for his next machine, which was known as the Model "D." but as the boxes were not compulsory there was no demand and he dropped them. No more was heard of fireproof spool boxes until the demonstration which was given at the London Hippodrome on December 17, 1908, when no less than ten firms exhibited their machines before the representatives of the London County Council and Insurance bodies, showing how they had tackled the question of making the machines safe. Incidentally, I claim here to have had a good deal to do with this demonstration. It came about in this way. Passing the Hippodrome about a fortnight previously. I found that a demonstration of fire-extinguishing apparatus for cinematographs was being given inside the Hippodrome. I walked in to see what was moving, and discovered that the apparatus was similar to an ordinary water cistern, fitted on four rods and suspended over the machine. This was the ingenious arrangement that the Trade had been called together to see! The apparatus was so arranged that if a piece of film caught fire it released a spring and the water was supposed to come down and put the fire out. I, with a number of other exhibitors, saw this absurd apparatus and laughed it to scorn ; but certain members of the County Council were strongly in favour of foisting this wretched thing upon the Trade. Mr. Brandon (one of the oldest exhibitors) and myself, stepped into the ring and challenged the efficacy of this invention, and I, as spokesman, asked that a fair test might be given, first to the apparatus which the various exhibitors were using, and secondly. that the County Council would call us together. The test was to be under the same conditions that we would have if we were actually show- ing, and this challenge was accepted. Mr. Frank Allen kindly granted us the use of his ring, and on December 7th the demonstration was given and proved the death-knell of the water cistern, which certain members of the London County Council hoped to foist upon the cinemas of the day, for when the film was set fire to by means of the rays from the arc lamp the invention failed, the water, instead of coming down all over the spool and putting the fire out, simply fell over the bottom spool and damaged the film and let the rest flare away, whereas all the other machines were tested very severely by the judges, and after each instance came out triumphant. Some of the tests were really severe, inasmuch as they fred the film on the top sprocket, the bottom sprocket and in the gate, and yet in no instance did the fire enter into the spool] cases.

Reply to Mr. Humfrey re Flim Hiring in 1896.
This date is wrong—it should have been 1900. This was the year when we started re- gularly to hire films, and even at this time, to speak of 1,000 ft. of film does not mean that ‘t was joined up in continuous length.
On referring to our books, I find, among others, the following entry :—
Dated March 4, 1897. Loaned to Mr. Joyce, of Oxford (who, by the way, was one of the oli pioneers of the Trade) :—
Railway Train, Paris ... se as
High Diving at the Milan Baths ... 50 ft.
Lady Bathing ... xsi bat .. 65 ft ' The Gardener, The Boy and The Hose Pipe a8 ze ati “e eer me 5 Panorama, Paris Street ... <3 ...» §0 ft. ~Pedlar Palmer Boxing ... ae .. 60 ft. Snow-balling se bes ~~ ace 165 fC; Blackfriars Bridge cee vi wee QO tte Children Plaving in Sea... wae -. 45 ft. A Street in Paris ... aoe a Soa 5 ft Trewev Juggling ... aud ss .. 50 ft. Bull Fight... a ae ke ee oS Et, Leap Frog. ... a a8 - at 5 Oukt, Sleepy Coachman ... oe ei . 50 ft. Milan Cychist ve aes — saa 55 FE. Milan Boatman ... ve ves sus 50 ft Fire Rrigade, Dublin. Taken by Geo. Francis mee hs ee ... 60 ft. Fire Scene. Taken by Paul ... .. 50 ft. Three Johns Tumbling oes ... 60 ft.
The price paid was £3.
Your correspondent is quite right about the length of films in.thosedavs (1896), but with the advent.of the ,roor, machine, with its 5 in.

spools in 1897, we used to join up six 50 ft. films together and the 5 in. spools carried them splendidly, the rewinding gear on the bottom spool arm doing its work nearly as efliciently as to-day. In many instances the films were run into a bag or basket, becatts? either the machines had to take-up or, owing to the spring band which was used for the rewind- ing apparatus being too tight or too loose, the rewinding gear would not act as it should do, but the whole of the machines made by Messrs. John Wrench and Son, from their first machine up to their latest model placed on the market last year (covering a period of from Septem- ber, 1896 to 1913), spools were used and
machines were provided with the rewinding apparatus on the bottom, arm in practically the same way as to-day. With the 100a machine, 3 in. vulcanite spools were originally used, and later 3 in. brass spools took their place, but with the 100p 5 in. brass spools were used.
I regret taking up so much of your space, but it could not be helped if a full reply were to be given to your correspondents.—Yours, etc.,
E. G. TurRNErR, Managing Director Walturdaw Company, 46, Gerrard Street, W. Limited. March 31, 1914

 turner edward george portrait

turner edward george portrait 02
Edward George Turner (c. 1950-1960) 

Sources

Rushden Research (https://www.rushdenheritage.co.uk/index.html)

TURNER Edward, George, "From 1896 to 1926", Kinematograph Weekly, 17 et 24 juin, 1er et 15 juillet 1926.

3

4

16/11/1896 Grande-Bretagne Guildford Constitutional Club The North American Animated Picture Company
20-21/11/1896 Grande-Bretagne Godalming Public Hall The North American Animated Picture Company
08/11/1897 Grande-Bretagne Londres Old Balham Baths  

Contacts