The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-03-25

BALTIMORE, March 25.-OPtlcal in
classification, Of painting and scenery Is
the name which r. w. Wood, professor
OF experimental physics in the JOINS
Hopkins University. has given 10 q re
cent discovery or invention Of his which
bids fair to revoluuonize scenic effects
upon the stage.
The first statement Of this discovery
was made by Prof. Wood in 1905, ana
was part of a laboratory experiment
which resulted In the discovery or a
new light IN imitation OF daylight made
by a. combination of color sore MS. in
conjunction with an ordinary tncan-
descent lamp. The first lecture was de-
ligered TO the public at Mccoy Hall IN
January. 1907. Following this, journals
of research gave much consideration TO
the discovery.
In its relation TO paintings, the process
solves the problem Of the narrow range
Of luminosity obtainable on canvas with
pigments. IN a painting or a piece OF
scenery, the difference in value between
black and white Is only about one 20
sixty. while out of doors it IS 1 to 700.
On stage scenery. therefore. the In
tensity OF contrast Is only as sharply
marked as the painters cOlors can make
It; and the difference between the
whitest white and the blacklist black is
70 the real difference what six Is TO
seventy.
Heightens the Lights.
Now the discovery which Prof. Wood
has chosen 10 call the optical intensifi-
cation of paintings is intended to height
en- the lights and keep back the shadows.
thus giving a localized Illumination
which is properly graded. To the eye
the result is that the difference between
the combination OF all COloTs and the
absence of ali coIors Is sharply marked.
while the colOrs themselves are made
distinct and true TO nature
The whole thing is done with lanterns
The scenery desired 10 be treated must,
IN the first place, have the correct color
values. The scenery is then photo
graphed and a lantern slide is made
from the negative. which is then pro-
iected by means of the lantern onto the
scenery itself. II the lights aPpear not
high enough, they can be heightened
and the shadows can be keI back II
necessary by a simple retouchiag OF the
lantern slides Water can be made 70
appear ripping: the beams OF he moon
will appear as soft and silverly as in ma
tire. the bright sunlight VII fairly
snarl,le and every feature Of the
scenery will be brought out with life
like distinetness and proportion A coun-
try scene on the backdrop, with high
lights and shadows, with moon IN
the pictured sky. would have Just the
relative value in colOrs that It would
have in nature, -s.-i-,o,
PsF wood. in a statement -
TO his discovery. explains the inelhoa,
and then gives an interesting eAaInplc
of its practical working
Gets Startling Effects.
..Resplts Of a very startling nature
ar. produced in this way. especially IN
the case of moonlight and sunlight pic
lures. with fine cloud effects, say ;
prof Wood 1.-THE most striking ana
| artistlcauv the most pleasing subject
which 1 have yet tried is little pastel
OF the market place in Cencarneau, by
RuUaeld. which is a wonderfully sunny
picture. Under the graded Illumination
/ of the lantern the picture becomes Filed
with a perfect flood Of sunlight. ana
We feel at once that here, for the first
tine. we are looking at picture IN
which the enormous luminosity con-
trasts of nature are really approached.
II after the picture is looked at. illumi-
mated in this Wdy for a few minutes, We
remove the slide from the lantern al
lowing a uniform illumination 70 IAN
T,uOn IT we feel a decided shock The
nf-tlIra looks as if II had not been
busted for ten years, the sunlight leaves
IL and everything look fat As we be-