William Carr Crofts(1846-1894)
- Director
- Cinematographer
William Carr Crofts was an English architect, entrepreneur and photographic pioneer, born in Bradford, West Yorkshire. He was a cousin of Wordsworth Donisthorpe, an inventor. In 1882 he and Donisthorpe founded the Liberty and Property Defense League. Using Donisthorpe's kinesigraph, he and Donisthorpe took a moving picture of London's Trafalgar Square (1890). This short film was possibly inspired by his brother Ernest Crofts, a painter who painted a picture called "Marston Moor"; the battle scene the painting depicts is thought to have influenced Crofts and Donisthorpe to create their film. Crofts and Donisthorpe were also staunch laissez-faire supporters as well and were thus constantly at odds with the rising socialist movement in England. They were also involved in political battles with the socialist groups. It is thus believed that the two were more intent upon bringing motion pictures into the world for political purposes, not for entertainment of any sort.