The Shadow Traps cover art

The Shadow Traps

The Shadow Traps

Written by: Irfan Shah
Listen for free

About this listen

In October 1888, the French inventor Louis Le Prince shot what many people now believe to be the world’s first films. On the 16th September 1890, and just before he was due to sail to New York to demonstrate his films in public for the first time, Le Prince boarded the Dijon to Paris train and was never seen again. Brought to you by Buzzsprout and Open Space Books, The Shadow Traps podcasts will tell the story of Le Prince, his life, his films and his mysterious disappearance. It is a mystery story, an exploration of invention and obsession and a love letter to film. To find out more and support this podcast, go to www.patreon.com/theshadowtraps

© 2026 The Shadow Traps Art
Episodes
  • Preview

    Preview
    Apr 1 2019

    Researcher and writer Irfan Shah introduces the new podcast series, The Shadow Traps, which will explore and celebrate the story of Louis Le Prince and will investigate the inventor's mysterious disappearance in 1890.

    Support the show
    Show More Show Less
    3 mins
  • Episode 1. Being a true history of the life, films and mysterious disappearance of Louis Le Prince, creator of the world's first films.

    Episode 1. Being a true history of the life, films and mysterious disappearance of Louis Le Prince, creator of the world's first films.
    Apr 15 2019

    This is the opening episode of The Shadow Traps podcast series. It will give an overview of the story, looking at Le Prince's life, films and mysterious disappearance on September 16th 1890. There will be clues and theories scattered throughout the episode, as well as stories from the earliest days of film. It is a labour of love, researched over the past seven years and lasting just over an hour and a half. It will set up listeners for the adventures ahead!

    Support the show
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 47 mins
  • Episode 2. 'If a man called Will Day calls, be careful'

    Episode 2. 'If a man called Will Day calls, be careful'
    Apr 23 2019

    In this episode of The Shadow Traps, we look at unreliable narrators and the question of fake news in our retellings of past events. We will expose the flaws in two of the theories related to Le Prince's disappearance and we will challenge the listeners' notions of what to believe when listening to this podcast series.

    We will also begin a more detailed biography of Le Prince's life, starting with his birth in France and ending with his move to England in 1866.

    And having done all this, we will replace one of the discredited theories with a new one......

    Support the show
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
No reviews yet