The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-12-19
a WONDERFUL MACHINE.
The. Cinematographe and Its Marvellous
Performance.

Inet sC1nem8toRIuPho 1hu Aeo MOL 'oA~Ss
Performances.
The vogue of "the moving photographs"
became pronounced, and thousands who
had hitherto kept away from variety |
theaters crossed the doors of those
places of amusement to behold the new /
est scientific achievement. Straight
way countless new machines were put
out, and the curiosity to witness the
.vitaseope and cinematographe pictures
grew apace.s There are two dozen Of
these mechanical reproductive inven-
lions now, and the returns are not all IN
by good deal. Among the best known i
are the cinematographe, the vitascope,
the phantoscope, the kineoptikon, the
animatographe and the eidoloscope.
The secret of all these contrivances IL
photography. 1t is not unnatural,
therefore, that the men who have sue
ceeded best should be photographers
The Lumieres, who gave the cmemato-
graphic to the world, hit upon their dis
covery two years ago, and since then
they have been reaping golden harvest.
| There is no need to thrash over the old
straw about priority of invention, and
it matters little whether Lumiere or
Edison was first in the field. The last
tvelyemonth Lumiere & Sons have ac-
ouired worldwide reputation through
the cinematographe. The cinemato-
graphe has recently, by special invita-
ton, been privately exhibited before
Emperor Francis Joseph and the i'm
perial court in Vienna, at the Elysee in
Paris. before President Faure, his
family and official household, and also
before the various courts of Europe.
About ~ years ago the heads OF this
| firm were almost unknown, even i'll
their own city of Lyons, France. But
from small business they have, by
their inventive skill and progressive
methods, advanced until they now
stand among the lending houses in the
world. In their works they made the
highest class of supplies and scientific
appliances used in photography. THE
financial success resulting from their
skill and enterprise is, perhaps, best
shown by saying that they now eni-
ploy hundreds of hands, and that their
stock commands 500 per cent. premium
representing nearly $4,000,000.
The foundation of the Lumieres' for
tune and the explanation of the superb
GRITTY of the cinematographer rest in the
accidental discovery of composition
that produced peculiarly sensitive
plates. This composition has been
kept a secret, but it proved so much
better than all others that they gave up
photography and devoted their entire
attention to the manufacture of sensi-
tive plates. Subsequently experiments
led to the invention of a toy cinemato-
graphic, which they perfected about
two years ago. Then they realized the
possibilities of the machine and gave
the first public exhibition in Lyons,
France, December &c. 1895.
The cinematographe consists OF
small box about eight by ten by foui
inches, and the entire mechanism is q
series of reels upon which the long
band of sensitive film is wound rapidly
behind set of five magnifying lenses
On these bands are a series OF photo
graphs, each one scarcely larger than
postage stamp, which are reflected on
white screen by means of a powerful
electric light, in such rapid succession
as to reproduce all the infinite and
varied movements of nature.
The bands of sensitive film are abou
IS Yards long and contain from 800 Il
1000 pictures. They are made of cellu
= loid and gelatine, which are covered
\ with the preparation before mentioned
. and so delicate is the material that !
!, rolls up into box about three inches il
: diameter. Yet it is so tough that it ca,
i be handled with perfect freedom, be
= ing, to quote the language of the op
= orator, strong as a watch spring"
: The tiny pictures, when magnifie'
: through the various lenses, cover
!, space on the stage IA by IS feet.
7 The powerful light which throws tn
. picture on the screen is obtained by tn
; ordinary carbons used in the arc lamps
= being arranged in different manner
Instead of the two carbons being place
: the one perpendicular to the Other
!, they are placed obliquely, the positiy
: carbon being slightly behind the negs
tive and being followed out in sue
manner as to form a natural reflector
. BY this means an unusually intens
= concentrated ray of light is obtaine'
y which is an important factor in the di
= tinctness of the pictures. The occasion
al Pickering is caused by unsteadine'
q of the current, and not by any defect
- :, the cinematographe.
~ The camera by means of which II
- pictures are taken is just the same sil
:" as the box by which they are reflects
70 and the pictures are taken in the san
manner. The sensitive 4iimi)is lplac<
- inside of a perfectly light7propf Raf AZ
=, unwound before the camera by NEAR
- of hand reels, the same as when shoy