Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-03-10
Mr.. EDISON'S LATEST.
1t Is Called the kaleidoscope and
Shows Moving Pictures.
IT Is A WONDERFUL SLOT MACHINE,
Combined with the Photograph, Not Only
the Voice but the Form, Features and
Movements of Great Men May BE Shown
to Posterity by This Machine.


Movements of Great Men May BE Shown
to Posterity by This Machine.
NEW YORK. March 1O.-Thomas \. Edi-
son, the inventor, has consented to tell eX-
gctly what he has accomplished in repro
lucing the motions of an object by photog
raphy. This is the first direct announce
ment that the new kinetograph, as the pho
Geographic apparatus is called, has proved
successful.
Everybody has seen the nickel-inthe-
slot machines which contain monographs
and play any kind of tune previously sung
into them. Mr.. Edison has now ready for
the market similar machine containing
his moving pictures, which is set a-going
when a nickle is put into the slot. This
machine he calls a Kaleidoscope. The kline
tOgraph is the machine which takes the
photographs and the kaleidoscope the ma
chine which displays them to the eye.
The kaleidoscope.
In the top of the kaleidoscope, which is n
polished oak box just like the photograph
machines is peephole about two inches
long and half an inch broad covered with
glass. The interior of the box is lighted
by electricity and shows IA picture about
two inches broad and an inch high
The kinetoscOpe in Mr., Edisons work
shop, which was exhibited to a reporter,
contains picture Of Il barber shop. There
is the barber about an inch in height
standing at his chair and three victims
waiting to be shaved But waiting is not
the correct word to use of this picture.
One of the lilliputian actors rises and
walks across the picture to the chair, sits
down and is tilted back. The apron and
towels are adjusted in a trice with no gen
of the barber moves professionally over
the patrons face and under his chin before
the proper razor is chosen.
The razor is slapped vigorously over the
strap few times, and then begins scent
shave that resembles the swing of Il scythe
in the hands of farmer.
Mr.. Edison regards the nickel-in-the-slot
machine as a mere toy. This is not what
he is after, although it is entertaining. He
said:
Some time ago it occurred to me that it
might be possible to invent something that
would do for the eye what the photograph
does for the ear-an instrument in fact
that would faithfully record and repro
duce practically all motion. l was familiar
with the Zeotrope an instrument on which
certain pictures We're painted and which
seemed to give the figures IL sort of motion,
experiments of Auybridge, who photo
graphed horses in motion by instantaneous
photography and reproduced the move
ments, but all these We're very crude and
resulted in jerky motions.
The eye is too quick for such photo
graphs. | saw that to produce pure mo-
ton pictures must be taken with sufficient
rapidity to record movements of less than
an inch in any part of the body, a longer
movement than that producing a jar. which
destroyed the illusion.
Story of the Invention.
Then began series of experiments in
photographing moving Objects and we got
our apparatus to take p different photo
graphs in second, but this was not sutfi-
cient. l found that the human retina was
capable of taking about Is or 4G photo
graphs and communicating them to the
brain.
1T was difficult job; mighty difficult
job-to get a machine that would do the
work When we got the requisite mum Der
of pictures. we found they showed with
slight tremor when we put them in Il kline
toscope. That was because they had not
been focused exactly the same,
IF one picture is a thousandtn part of
an inch out of the exact lines of the pre-
ceding picture. the sensitive eye instantly
fectually destroys the illusion. That is
the whole story" continued the inventor.
''The photographing machine was the diff
cult thing. The various devices for prop
erly displaying the moving scenes is of
secondary Importance mere feat in SIM
pie mechanics which anybody can do. You
have seen the nickel-in-the-slot machine.
Funny toy. But that is not what | am
after. | am going to do what l set out to do.
What VIII BE Done.
MY experiments with the kaleidoscope
have been directed toward this end: First
to mount the photographs on glass plates
and throw the pictures by means of a
magic lantern upon screen. Then, in
stead of looking into Il pcephole, a large
number of spectators might watch the
moving picture. Second, to combine the
photograph with the kaleidoscope so that
while the figures had visible motion on the
curtain their words migst be heard plainly
by the audience.
Il am prepared to announce that this
throwing of pictures upon screen has &C
tually been accomplished in my laborato tory,
and we have had the figures in motion
| there SO that the eye could detect no change
| from one picture to another. There are
| various improvements yet to be made, how
! ever, before this form of the kaleidoscope
will be ready for the public.
"When these things are all accomplish
| ed as they will be some time, it will be
possible to catch every gesture of Chauncey
! NJ. Depew delivering an after dinner adj
dress and every infection of his voice, and
! to exhibit both to admil'ing audiences 100
years after he is dead 1t will be possible
to see and hear grand opera by stereop-
ticon.
This has been largely work. of senti-
ment on my part. l do not believe there
is much money in it. But l believe it is
in the interest of science and history. A
great man will never die if his pictures and
speeches are saved by the photograph and
monograph"