Lumière Institute

On the morning of our second full day in Lyon we traveled via metro to the home of the Lumière family, now known as the Lumière Institute. Inside the gorgeous home (one of 22 we found out) turned museum, our fantastic tour guide showed us the many inventions and shared several extra tidbits of knowledge from the Lumières' lives. After our assigned reading from the day before, we had learned a good chunk of info on the impact the Lumières had on cinema and movies. What I didn't know and found very interesting was their significant impact on photography, as well as various other inventions, totaling 196 patents.
The neatest thing about these patents was the fact that both brothers signed them all, even when it was the idea of just Louis or Auguste. This was part of a pact they made earlier in life to always stick together, which showed also as they shared a home their whole life, even when both had families. As our guide said, "it was very cute" that the brothers honored their agreement.
Their patents ranged from panoramic and instant photos to colored photo and 3D technology to eyeglasses and medical advancements. Even their younger brother was an inventor, creating the first night vision goggles before his young death as a pilot during the war. I found it very surprising to hear the lack of interest in the panoramic photo knowing it's popularity now, though it makes sense as it was developed during a time when the motion picture dominated.
Without the contributions of the Lumière brothers, its hard to see our technology driven, selfie stick wielding society today. Visiting the Lumière Institute today really gave me a sense of awe on the impact two brothers had on today's modern society.