The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-02-23
The BI0GRAPH IDEA.
Il Had Its Birth in the Brain Of a
Providence Inventor.
The zoetTope Was the FoTeTunner Of Latter
Day Motion Pictures.

Probably very few persons know that
the fundamental idea Of that wonder
full invention, the Biograph, was born
in Providence.
The germ, from which the BiograpR
was evolved, was known as the Zoe
trope, scientific toy still enjoying
large sale.
1t was invented In 1867 by William f..
Lincoln of Providence, and consisted
OF cardboard cylinder about a foot
in diameter, which was rotated on
vertical axis and contained a series of
vertical slots cut in it's periphery. 4
strip of paper. on which were printed
a series of figures, each in "A different
position from it's predecessor, was coil
ed around the inside of the cylinde,
just below the line OF slots or peep
holes. the distance between the figures
being equal TO the distance between
the slots. AS the cylinder was rotated,
the figures appeased to be I'm motion.
The illusion is explained by the fact
that the eye is capable of receiving and
recording only a given number of inn
pressions in a given time and il the
successive pictures are presented %
the eye too fast for their individual
apprehension. they Will blend, as it
were. and produce on the mind the inn
preston of a single picture.
The zoetrope had its day, and uiti-
mately passed out Of favor; but tho
optical laws by which the results were
obtained in course of time attracte6'
the attention of experimentalists i'm the
then youthful art of photography. The
French scientist Marcy. DR. Mubridge
of Philadelphia and Mr.. w. *. LDick-
.,.f,, faNI In Hnll a.
the result OF the joint labors OF the lat
ter and Mr.. Edison the famous Edison
vitascope was produced. The Lumiere
brothers, French photographers,
brought out the cinematograph in
1894. and this was succeeded shortly
afterwards by the Biograph the in
ventlon OF MIR. Herman easier.
The machine with which the original
pictures are taken Is known as the
"mutograph' The camera frame u
mounted by means of three adjustaLe
legs upon a triangular turntable which
may be placed upon any suitable sup.
port. Upon the top of the frame is bolt
ed a two horse power electric motor
driven by a set OF storage batteries. lu
the front end OF the camera Is fixed a
particuiarly perfect lens capable OF
gathering great food of light and
producing an image Of exceedingly
clear detail. Above this lens on the
front face of the camera is fixed -
photographic finder" which enables
the operator to determine when the
subject Is properly focused.
Inside the camera is a strip or Cela-
tine film "a inches wide and usuall"
about 1G0 feet In length, wound upon q
small pulley or drum. Tho
length OF the film varies for
different subjects. and IN the
case Of q prolonged scene. like tho pic
lures OF popc Leo XIII. 70 may extend
To several thousands Of feet.
The film is led through a srrios Of
rollers and caused 90 pass directly be.
hind the main lens Of the camera. and
finally ia wound upon a second drum.
Tho object Of the rollers is to cause tho
nlm 20 pass behind the lens with IN in
termittent instead OF continuous mo-
ton. At ordinary speed this would
seem 70 be matter OF simple accom-
piishment: but when we remcmbet
that Impressions are taken az the rate
of forty d secoui. and that tho Aim
which Is running az the rate 0f'from 3
20 feet n second. has 10 be stopped
and started with equal frequency.
n can be understood that the problem
was no easy one 20 solve.
The film comes 90 rest as the shut.
ter opens. phase or image lg deposit.
cd. and the film starts again az the