William C. Paley (1857 – 31 May 1924) was an early cameraman and film pioneer. He worked with

X-rays An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...

before health issues led him to switch to film projects. He built a film projector called the Kalatechnoscope. He was hired as a cameraman at

Eden Musée The Eden Musée was an amusement center in New York City that featured a large waxworks collection, musical concerts and a changing selection of specialty entertainment, such as magic lantern shows and marionettes. It was opened on March 28, 1 ...

filming a Passion Play. He then worked for Thomas A. Edison, Inc. and made many films related to the U.S. war effort against Spain in Cuba. The Library of Congress lists him as William Daly Paley. Paley traveled extensively in the U.S. making

actuality film Actuality film is a non-fiction film genre that uses footage of real events, places, and things (essentially B-roll), a predecessor to documentary film. Unlike documentaries, actuality films are not structured into a larger narrative or coheren ...

s. He was part of the business partnership Paley & Steiner that sold film equipment and produced films. His nickname was Daddy. Paley's equipment was used to create a

passion play The Passion Play or Easter pageant is a dramatic Play (theatre), presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus: his Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus, trial, suffering and death. The viewing of and participation in Passion Plays is a traditional part of L ...

that was exhibited in New York. Edison met it with a lawsuit asserting copyright infringement over his film technology. The play received newspaper coverage in part because of fraudulent claims it was filmed in Germany and captured the original production when it was actually a staged recreation. Paley collaborated with ''Journal'' reporter

Karl Decker Karl Decker (30 November 1897 – 21 April 1945) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II who committed suicide in the Ruhr Pocket on 21 April 1945. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak ...

and filmed the funeral procession of the '' U.S.S. Maine'' and also filmed the

Rough Riders The Rough Riders was a nickname given to the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish–American War and the only one to see combat. The United States Army was small, understaffed, and diso ...

in Tampa. He died on 31 May 1924.Musser, Charles ''Edison Motion Pictures 1890-1900''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Paley, William C. 1857 births 1924 deaths American cinematographers American film producers