The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1910)

58 MOVING PICTURE EVOLUTION. Some Interesting Facts Showing the Origin and Development of the Moving Picture Machine Which Is Contributing so Much Today to Knowledge in All Walks of Life — The Views of C. Hemardinquer, of the Faculty of the Sciences of the Sorbonne. The moving picture machine, under Its various names, is still increasing in popularity and is being perfected day by day, although much still remains to be done before its results can be called quite satisfactory. It is difficult to realize that so complex a device, producing so life-like an illusion of animated motion, has been developed within a few years. In an article contributed to the Revue Scientifique of Paris, C. Hemardinquer, of the Faculty of Sciences of the Sorbonne, gives some of the steps in detail. He says In substance: "The whole theory of the cinematograph is contained in these few words: persistence of the impression made hy light on the retina. What does this mean? Take a match whose end still glows, and move it quickly about. We see a luminous line. Whence comes this impression? Simply from the fact that each luminous impression lasts a certain time, fixed by the experiments of the Belgian physicist Plateau at 0.14 second. During this time the object in motion has been displaced, so that we still see it in one place after it has moved to the next. "This fact of luminous persistence has long been known. It was even mentioned by Lucretius in G5 B. C. In all times and in all countries scientists have noted it, tried to explain it and based toys or amusements upon it, such as the magic top, the thaumatrope, etc. By application of the same principle we show, in lectures on physics, the synthesis of colored lights to form white — the so-called Newton's disc. In this way, also, we may study vibratory mdvements on the principle of what are called in physics stroDoscopic methods." To return to the cinematograph, he takes as its starting point the phenakisticope of Plateau, which may be really regarded as its ancestor. He goes on to say: "Plateau's device received successive modifications of detail, among which may he cited Ross's 'wheel of life' and the zootrope or zoetrope of Desvignes (I860), which ma.y still be found in the toy shops. This is formed of a vertical cylinder having vertical slits through which the observer looks. In the interior is placed a band of paper bearing designs representing the successive positions or attitudes of a moving object or person. The zootrope modified by a system of mirrors becomes the praxinoscope of Reynaud (1877). Then came the folioscope, which reappeared in 1897 with photographs instead of drawings. All these devices used drawings, reproductions more or less exact, of the different attitudes of the subjects. It is evident that the reproduction gained much from the substitution of photographs, and it is Interesting that this substitution was first made with a scientific purpose. "In 1873 Cornu presented to the Academy of Sciences four photographs, taken on the same plate, of the transit of Venus across the sun's disc. At the same time Janssen invented his photographic revolver. Marey, in his laboratory in the Pare des Princes, made on a single plate successive images on a dark background, to study the movements of men and animals. "In 1878, at the instigation of a rich American, a San Francisco photographer, Maybridge, constructed twenty-four similar objectives whose shutters were controlled by electromagnets with electric circuits so arranged as to be broken sue cessively by a moving horse, giving twenty-toui successive exposures. This was somewhat com plicated. "We cite merely for the sake of completeness the analogous attempts on fixed plates made by Auschiitz of Lissa, by Londe, by Colonel Sebert, and others, and come at once to the chronograph of Marey, who was really the first to think of forming the image on a movable sensitive film, the object being exposed periodically. This was the actual beginning of chronophotography, which then entered upon a new phase. One of Marey's collaborators, Demeny, changed the chronograph to adapt it for projection. Marey had made the analysis of motion, and Demeny its synthesis. "In 1889, at the World's Fair, Marey showed his apparatus to Edison, who, seeing its possibilities, devised his kinetoscope, in which the celluloid strip was used for the first time, and which was so successful that Marey's name was almost forgotten beside that of the famous American. But the kinetoscope was not yet a device for projecting moving pictures on a screen. On Feb. 10, 1893, the Messrs. Lumigre, of Lyons, finally solved the problem and took out their first patent for the cinematograph. Everybody recollects the brilliant success of this invention. At once it was followed by a considerable number of devices made in all countries and christened in all sorts of ways from the Greek, Latin, and in more fanciful fashion still. Here are a few: "Anarithmoscope, chronophotographoscope,, ci nographoscope, cinograph, cinoscope, hypnoscope, katoscope, ummographe, mutoscope, mouvementoscope (!!), phantographe, etc. There are scores of them, or even hundreds. To review these de vices would be to deliver a lecture on mechanics; but they all resemble the apparatus of Lumiere, which in Its modern forms has been changed only by perfecting details." A very ingenious combination of the phonograph and the cinematograph has been made by Gaumont, who has succeeded in obtaining perfect synchronism between the two. The lecturer showed a number of his pictures with special phonograph accompaniment, the sound being amplified by compressed air in combination with the megaphone. These are said to have been very striking and will doubtless soon become familiar to the public. HOW RETURNS ARE HANDLED. SALESMANSHIP. Every salesman must always bear in mind that increased earnings for himself can only come with increased business, and increased business can only come by increasing the number of customers for his store, and the only way ever discovered for increasing the number of customers for a store is to please every customer so well that he will come again and bring his friends. This is the sum and substance of salesmanship. Don't neglect an opportunity to make a friend of a customer. Confidence begets patronage. NOW IS THE TIME TO PLACE ELECTRIC-PLAYERS to advantage and make easy money and big profits. They earn money with very little attention. Write for Catalogue and prices, also Perforated Music Rolls THE ELECTROVA CO., 117-125 Cypress Ave., NEW YORK Commissioner Cabell Discusses Publicity Features of New Corporation Tax Law — How Returns May be Inspected by Those Interested in Their Neighbors' Affairs. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Washington, D. C, March 6, 1910. Royal E. Cabell, Commissioner of Internal Revenue, has just sent out the following communication, which will interest all concerns having to make returns under the new corporation tax law. He says: "Many communications have been received at this office making inquiry as to how the returns of corporations, joint-stock companies, associations and insurance companies, made as required under the provisions of the corporation excise tax law (sec. 38 of the tariff act of Aug. 5, 1909), were to be handled in the office of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, and whether or not they were to be open to general inspection. "The law, paragraph 6, on this subject is as follows: '6. When the assessment shall be made, as provided in this section, the returns, together with any corrections thereof which may have been made by the commissioner, shall be filed in the office of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue and shall constitute public records and be open to inspection as such.' "Congress appropriated $100,000 to carry into effect the provisions of the law. Under general statutes no portion of this appropriation is available for use in the District of Columbia. The returns cannot be open to general inspection in the District of Columbia without the expenditure of a substantial sum of money. If, therefoie, it was the intent of Congress to make these returns open to general inspection, it will be necessary lor it to appropriate a sum sufficient to cover the necessary expenses. Until this is done this bureau rules that the returns made under this law are to be handled just as returns made under other internal-revenue statutes. "Any person, therefore, other than the taxpayer making the return, or his duly appointed agent or attorney, who desires to see such return, shall make written application to the Secretary of the Treasury, who in his discretion will, upon a proper showing of cause, approve such request. A request thus approved should then be presented to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, who will thereupon permit the return in question to be seen by the applicant upon such conditions as the Secretary of the Treasury shall have imposed." ENTHUSIASM. The difference between success and mediocrity in business is enthusiasm. Unless the retail merchant displays genuine enthusiasm over the goods he has to sell — has faith in the business he is engaged in, and shows it to the people with whom he wants to do business, he will not be compelled to make many additions to his building to care for his increased business. Enthusiasm— that's it — enthusiasm. Sometimes a man knows so much that it takes all his time rearranging it in his head so he can make some use of it. 60 YEARS' EXPERIENCE Patents I RADE. IVIAKftS Designs Copyrights &c. Anyone sending a sketch and description may quickly ascertain onr opinion free whether an invention is probably patentable. Communications strictly confidential. HANDBOOK on Patents sent free. Oldest agency for securing patents. Patents taken through Munu & Co. receive special notice* wit hout charge. In the Scientific American, A handsomely illustrated weekly. T.nreest circulation of any scientiue journal. Terms, t3 a year; (our months, $L Sold by all newsdealers. 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