The morning call., 1891-06-28
THE KINBTOGRAPH.
EdiSalS Latest WOrk-A Companion to the
PhOn0grdlh.

The name given to Thomas A. Edison's
latest invention, the kinetograph, describes
briefly the purpose and achievement of that
remarkable mechanism, says writer in
Harper's Weekly. This purpose, it should
be said. has nothing directly TO DO with
what scientific men call 'kinetic force
/. e., the force of moving body. The aim
is simply to produce a perfect and true
visual image OF men, animals or other OBJ
jects as they appear when in actual motion.
For some time before the new invention was
announced, Mr.. Edison thought of calling
il, and in fact frequently did call ii, the
kinetoscopP, which would mean "a viSi, n
of movement" or ''movenent-sight," but
he has finally chrlstened it the kinetOgraph,
a name compounded from two Creek words,
meaning movement and writing. The
sense, therefore, in which the kinetograph
is to he understood is that OF movement
record"
1t performs the same service In recording
and then producing motion which the pho
nograph performs In recording and repro
ducing sound. There. ID nutshell. Is the
whole Object and accomplishment of the
kinetOgraph.
But, as any one may see, moving forms
cannot be registered and retained, and then
brought before our eyes again, by mra ms pre-
photograph does its work by engraving upon
wax the almost invisible lines caused by vi
OIatlons of the voice or bV noise or music,
and from these lines the same vibrations may
again be set going and heard again. But
the function Of the klnetograph Is to set
down and permanently record exact images
of men walking, trees waving ~ the wind,
birds flying, machinery in active operation
in fine, To secure pictures OF any or every
thing that Is going U. e. IN mot0n), and
then 10 show us a complete representation
of those objects with their movement, just
the same as though We were looking at the
reality. In order to reach this result It must,
Of course. make phOtographs-a number o.
phOtOgra phS, which, when seen in rapid sue
ceSsiOu, in press themselves upon the eye IN
such a blending that we get from them
single clear image OF the moving man or
brute, bird or machine. The kinetograph,
then, is new application of the art of pho
Biography u tied to peculiar ingenious mech
anSm, and with new system Ot combining
many separate photographs in one total ell
feet, which reproduces with absolute fdel-
ity aUd naturalness the movement as well
as the form OF the original object
In one respect here we find precise re-
semblauce to the photograph. The TWO in
Yeutions are meant TO be used together as
we'll as separately. by phonograph cyl lin
der attached 10 a kinetOgTaph cylinder, and
moving spontaneously with il, we may re-
vivr and enjoy all at once the sound, the
sight and the movement Of any particular
occurrence or performance. This, which
can be done with the microscopic kneto-
graph, is practicable with the present mag
nifying kinetograph reproducer The orig
inal and unique birth of one brain, hey are
lin ked as closely as the Siamese Eng and
Chang not by a band Of flesh, but by bar
Of steel, viz: the shaft that rotates the
phonograph cylinder, and is also connected
with the strip and shutter mechanism of the
kinetOgraph, Enclosed in a box. Under
meath The stand is an electric battery, and a
single electric motor animates and rules
them both. The phOnograph is fitted with
its funnel for sending out sound, and the
kinetograph is armed with its magnfying
lenses for throwing forth large moving
.lnr q ha VnnA