New-York tribune., 1912-03-10
How Charles Urban Pursued
Idea of Combining Color
Photography with
kaleidoscope.

LWAYS when something new and
~ beautiful flashes across the vision
L n and consciousness OF the public, es-
pecialIy the American public, great curiosity
is manifested to know all about the man
who invented Il and sent II forth.
In kinemaColor as i'm dying machines. IN
incandescent lamps rs in the airbrake, the
vav that Edison eats his breakfast. the
means adopted by the Wrights to sidestep
conversation are OF consuming interest
along with stories Of MIR Westinghouse
early failures 10 interest wcalthy men who
auerward invented uncomplimentary names
for themselves because they had pooh
poohed the contTivance.
And Just now a lot Of persons who have
worried themselves tired trying to describe
the beauty Of the kinemacolor pictures are
asking who it was that invented the proc
css. and how he parts his hair, does he en-
JOY Arnold Bennett, where was he born IS
lie i'm favor Of votes for women, and what's
his name. anyway?
When YOU sec a Wright machine in the
ar YOU think Of DAYTON, Ohio. even If YOU
don't remember exactly whether Dayton is
near Xenia or If it was in some other con-
ncction that Nenia was impressed on your
attention. But you think Of Dayton and
OF the Wright brothers, whose ability TO let
others do all the talking has become part
Of your fund of information. Edison, bolt
ing his luncheon in fifteen minutes. working
sixty hours at a stretch and the fact that
he likes hot mince pie are the things that
come TO your mind when some one remarks
on the incompatible wonders that he has
performed.
The inventor, then, Of animated pictures
in natural coors must be an interesting
personality He is. Furthermore, he is
now in this country on short stay, so he
may be studied at short range. And before
going any further let us nail the comfort
ing fact at once that Charles Urban-for
that is his name-is an American. albeit
he has for the last fifteen or sixteen years
made dear old London his home.
He was born forty-odd wears ago in Gin
Cinnati. and no matter how English his coat
and point of view now are. his heart, he
saws. warns most at recollections of that
Queen City of the West, and next, maybe,
at the mention Of Bay City. Jackson. De-
troit and other towns in that famous break
fast food and furniture commonwealth
not that shavings and cereals have anything
Mr.. Urban likes Cincinnati because there
he grew % strong young manhood. lie
turns affectionately to lower Michigan be-
cause in that thriving territory he worked
up such a business for the knetoscope
privileges that he received the opportunity
10 20 to London as director OF larger field
at the hands Of an enthusiastic general
manager of sales.
lie went to London at sl25 month
less by a good deal than Southern Michi-
gan Yielded less, too than the fur collar
on his overcoat costs now. But he felt
that he was going to like London. \ good
sense OF touch has Mr.. Urban
And thus the plot thickens But. sup
rose. before we take up the story chrono-
logically. we glance at the man as he
appears to-day. While he tells OF his early
bumps is a favorable moment to watch
him. The bumps, by the way, have made
his muscles like iron. Also, the thank
ycu-marms" along life's highway have
given him a complexion as rudy as a
tcamster's. an eye that wrinkles, an ever