Charles Urban, American documentary film pioneer, c 1911.

Photograph taken from the Charles Urban (1867-1942) album held by the Archives of the Science Museum. Urban's 'Warwick Trading Company' was the most prominent British film company at the turn of the twentieth century. In 1902, Urban directed G A Smith to develop Kinemacolor (patented in 1906) which became the first commercially succesful motion picture colour proces. His 'Charles Urban Trading Company', formed in 1903, reinforced his reputation as a supplier of quality documentary films.