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Antique Photography Price Guide and Glossary. &169; 2005

Chinnock, Charles had been the employee of Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) who made the kinetoscope practical. The kinetoscope was an crude early (1891) gadget for viewing motion pictures in a box. After quitting Edison, Chinnock became America's first movie producer. He made films starting in 1895 in a studio on the roof at 1729 Saint Marks Avenue in New York City. His films were all short and risque; dancing girls in scanty costumes and so forth. It was a success. Sex sells. Originally the films were intended for the kinetoscope, not for projection. Estimated basic value: $4200