William Friese-Greene

William Friese-Greene
Friese-Greene c. 1890
Born
William Edward Green

(1855-09-07)7 September 1855
Bristol, England
Died5 May 1921(1921-05-05) (aged 65)
London, England
Resting placeHighgate Cemetery
NationalityBritish
OccupationInventorphotographer
Known forMotion picturesprintingphotography
Spouse(s)Victoria Mariana Helena Friese
(m. 1874-1895, her death)
Edith Jane Harrison
(m. 1897-1921; his death)
Children7, including Claude
RelativesTim Friese-Greene (great-grandson)

William Friese-Greene (born William Edward Green, 7 September 1855 – 5 May 1921) was a prolific English inventor and professional photographer. He was known as a pioneer in the field of motion pictures, having devised a series of cameras between 1888–1891 and shot moving pictures with them in London. He went on to patent an early two-colour filming process in 1905. Wealth came with inventions in printing, including phototypesetting and a method of printing without ink, and from a chain of photographic studios. However, Friese-Greene spent all his money on inventing, went bankrupt three times, was jailed once, and died in poverty.