John Robinson Whitley, (13 December 1843, Leeds – 22 March 1922, Condette, France) was a British entrepreneur who inaugurated the Earl's Court Exhibition Grounds in West London in 1887.

Joseph Whitley, originally from Wakefield, was steeped in metallurgy and moved to Leeds where in 1844 he opened his own business, J.Whitley & Co., subsequently J.Whitley Partners, which he headed until his death in 1891.

[2][3] Joseph and Sarah Whitley were the parents-in-law of French pioneer cinematographer, Louis Le Prince, who, in 1888 'filmed' them along with other family members in what was probably the first ever experimental motion picture, at their home in Roundhay.

His tours included return visits to France, Germany and Italy and forays into Switzerland, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Turkey, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Portugal.

[7] Before entering the family business, Whitley had been attending Leipzig University in 1866 where he met a French graduate of chemistry and fine art, called Louis Le Prince.

[8] Back in the United Kingdom in the early 1880s, John Whitley resolved to follow his dream of bringing nations together by emulating the great exhibitions of the past in Paris and London with the difference of concentrating on one industrialised country at a time.

Charles Lowe characterised Whitley as follows: Having travelled widely in the world, he decided to capitalise on his acquaintance with the American showman, William Cody whom he had met while in the US and create an America-focused commercial fair around the Wild West Show.

Although he happened on Fort-Mahon he quickly diverted his attention to a more interesting proposition between Berck and Canche, with an attractive forest and the newly created resort of Paris-Plage, with already 350 buildings, 3 hotels and a church.

He therefore decided to buy a two kilometre stretch of coastline, 500 metres deep, south of Paris-Plage, with a view to creating there a new Anglo-French resort called Mayville in honour of Princess Mary of Teck.