# First Motion Picture Public Audience in 1870

> Philadelphia hosted the first public motion picture screening at the Academy of Music in 1870.
- Title: First Motion Picture Public Audience in 1870 · PhillyVoice
- Summary: Philadelphia hosted the first public motion picture screening at the Academy of Music in 1870. Henry Heyl's phasmatrope, a 1870 motion picture device, was…
- Keywords: academy of music, henry heyl, phasmatrope, first motion picture, philadelphia, 1870, motion pictures, inventions, film history, philadelphia film society, news, local
- Source: PhillyVoice — https://phillyvoice.com/first-motion-picture-public-audience-academy-music
- Published: 2026-10-02T19:41:56.895+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: academy of music, henry heyl, phasmatrope, first motion picture, philadelphia, 1870, motion pictures, inventions, film history, philadelphia film society, news, local
## First public motion picture screening
Philadelphia hosted the first public motion picture screening at the Academy of Music in 1870.
## Henry Heyl's phasmatrope invention
Henry Heyl, a Philadelphia-based chemist, invented the phasmatrope to create moving images using multiple photographs on a rotating skeleton wheel.
## 1,500 audience members
Heyl presented his invention to 1,500 people at the Academy of Music on Feb. 5, 1870, who were unaware of what they were watching.
## Revolutionary effect
The audience was stunned by the illusion of moving images, described as revolutionary by Philadelphia Film Society CEO Andrew Greenblatt.
## Three motion pictures shown
Heyl showed three motion pictures: a Japanese acrobat, Brother Jonathan (voiced by an actor), and a waltzing sequence with live orchestra.
## Program description
The exhibition program claimed the phasmatrope would emulate 'graceful and lifelike' movements on screen.
## Three frames per second
The phasmatrope operated at three frames per second, far slower than today's 24 frames per second movies.
## Later exhibitions
Heyl exhibited the phasmatrope again at the Franklin Institute the following month but never returned to filmmaking.
## Historical impact
Heyl's invention paved the way for modern filmmaking, with the Philadelphia Film Society noting it influenced the Lumiere brothers' work in France.
## Henry Heyl's later inventions
Heyl also created the first foldable milk box and wire-stitching machine, later known as the first stapler.
## Henry Heyl's death
Heyl died in 1919 after falling off a trolley car at Broad and Walnut streets.
## Philadelphia Film Society event
The Philadelphia Film Society will honor Heyl's phasmatrope on Oct. 24 during its annual film festival.
## Key takeaway

Henry Heyl's phasmatrope, a 1870 motion picture device, was shown to 1,500 people at Philadelphia's Academy of Music, creating the first public audience for moving images.