Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-04-17
PICTURES OF THE VOICE.
Figures Made by Vibrations Reproduced
on a Moving Machine.

Figures Made by Vibrations Reproduced
on Moving Machine.
NEW YORK. April 16.-When Dr. j.
Mount Bleyer announced about two weeks
tgo. that he had discovered a method oil
photographing the human voice, music,
or. indeed. any sound whatever. he hau
then made snap shots only of the COM
pleted figures produced by sound Vipra-
tions. The investigator declared that he
would soon. by the use Of the biograph'
take the continuous photographs Of tone
or tones from beginning to end showing
all the variations of the sound from the
time it was uttered until it had died
away.
He set the biograph up in his labratory
AT his home. No. AGO Lexington avenue
on Wednesday. and succeeded in making
the pictures on a continuous film, just as
photographs are taken Tor the kineto-
scope.
Since the original experiments were con-
cluded. the doctor has made a further IN
provement in the manner of producing
the figures from which the photographs
are made. In the first instance he used
a light powder which danced and spread
about on the surface of a piece of rubber
tightly drawn over the end Of the cone or
funnel. The improvement consists In sub
stituting a colored liquid for the powder.
The entire method is simple
A tin cone IS supported in an upright
position by being thrust through an aper-
ture in the leaf of table near the edge.
The large end OF the cone or horn is now
uppermost. A piece of rubber or skin is
drawn over the mouth Of the cone Ike
drum head. Alongside The cone and some
what above it is mounted mirror, in
clned at an angle so that it will reflect
to the eye Of one standing opposite OF
whatever may appear upon the surface
Of the frightened rubber.
The biograph, which takes from 70 TO 100
pictures a second is placed opposite the
mirror, the lens pointing at the spot on the
glass where will be reflected anything on
the surface of the rubber. A tiny drop Of
liquid. from the point Of a needle. is placed
in the centre of the rubber drum head.
4 tone or tones or song, is sung into
the small end of the cone. or bar Of
music is played on any Instrument. all
ways. of course, near the small end of the
cone. The effect is to cause the frightened
drum head to vibrate. and in response to
the vibrations the co'ored liquid dances
up and down and spreads out and away
from the centre forming the most intri-
cate and beautiful geometrical figures.
These figures are shown in the mirror
and are reflected to the lens of the bio
graph and photographed upon the film that
is passing along at lightning speed. Every
movement of the liquid is copied, and
when the pictures have been developed
the hundreds of varied movements made
by the liquid in response to the vibrations
appear in odd and complex pictures. The
same effect is produced when powder is
used instead of liquid.
Sometimes it is a rose or other flower
that is shown. and then again It is a study
for an intricate scroll. Never by any
chance can there be two pictures alike,
no more than could there be two sounds
exactly alike in volume and force. pro-
duced under exactly the same conditions.