International photographer (Feb-Dec 1929)

Eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1929 Wide gilm The advent of practical motion pictures began with an order placed with the Eastman Dry Plate Company, September 2, 1889, by Thomas A. Edison. September 2, '89. Eastman Dry Plate Co. Dear Sir: Enclosed please find sum of $2.50 P. O. 0. due you for one roll Kodak film for which please accept thanks. I shall try same today and report — it looks splendid. I never succeeded in getting this substance in such long pieces. Sincerely yours, W. K. L. DICKSON. P. S. : — Can you coat me some rolls with your highest sensitometer? Please answer. Mr. Dickson was Mr. Edison's most trusted employee and worked directly under him on these experiments. At this time Mr. Edison had perfected the phonograph. There is an old Chinese saying: "One hundred tellings are not as good as one seeing." This appealed to Mr. Edison and having perfected the phonograph for the ears he set out to make mov' ing pictures for the eyes. Mr. Edison and his staff started experiments on moving pictures, when he was called to go to the Paris Exposition with his phonograph. Before he departed he issued instructions as to what should be done and adding: "Work like hell." His return is quoted from a book published in 1895 on the Life of Edison, written by William Kennedy, Laurie Dickson — Antonia Dickson, with a foreword approval by Edison: "The crowning point of realism was attained on this occasion of Mr. Edison's return from the Paris Exposition of 1899, when Mr. Dickson himself stepped out on the screen, raised his hat, smiled, and spoke these words of greeting: 'Good morning, Mr. Edison, glad to see you back. I hope you are satisfied with the Kineto phonograph.' " This was the first talking picture — it being the first to be synchronized with a phonograph recrod. In 1893 Col. Wm. N. Selig, retired, (now one of the oldest cameramen in the business) built his own camcamera and projector. He used the standard width film and made his own BY ARTHUR REEVES perforator which was worked by hand. His first pictures were shot in December, 1893. This cut of his first picture film made in January, 1894, shows the sheep running down the gangway at the Chicago Stock Yards. The Omaha Exposition of 1898 wanted moving pictures made and was in favor of the size used by the Biograph Company. In order for Col. Selig to get that contract he had to build a camera and projectors that could use the same size Biograph had been usinn;. A few years later he made one of the first commercial pictures for the Canadian Pacific Railroad on this wide film. On May 20th, 1895, in New York City, Mr. Woodville La Am tham projected the first actual moving picture upon a screen. Previous to this all moving pictures were viewed by looking into a box, called a peep show. Mr. Latham is the inventor of the feed sprocket and the loop for feeding the intermittent. At this time he came out with his Eidoloscope using film as shown in figure actual size. You will note the oval holes cut through the frame line in each picture. As the projector had no shutter, an electrical contact was made through these oval holes that lighted the arc light each time the intermittent brought the picture into position. This was the first wide film. Selig Film, 1894 Latham Eitloloscope Film, 1895 Enoch Rector, an inventor and promoter, had a camera and projector that used a film 2-3-16 inches wide. The Corbett-Fitzsimmons prize fight at Carson City, Nevada, March 17, 1897, was photographed by Enoch Rector's Veriscope; during this fight 11,000 feet was shot. At this time prize fights and news events were the only pictures that could be made with a commercial value. rican Mit/oscopc — Biograph Size Used in 1899 Wm. A. Brady and O'Rourke pi'omoted a prize fight November 3, 1899, between Jeffries and Sharkey, and interested the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company in making moving pictures of the fight. A new problem now presented itself because this fight was to be held at Coney Island at night. The Biograph Company called in its technical advisors to solve the problem. This job was turned over to none other than Billy Bitzer. Although Bitzer does low key lighting, on this fight in 1899 he used 400 arc lights over the ring. It must be considered these lights were not as powerful as those of today. This fight went 25 rounds — 3 minutes each — 1 minute rest. Four cameras were on the job. One was always running. The film went into the cameras from the magazine imperforated and was perforated at the aperture plate just previous to exposure, with one hole on each side. There was a small ruby light inside the cameras with a red glass window so the cameraman could watch for buckles. These cameras buckled several times during the fight. The film, used was 2 23-32 widcl and the pic-B ture was 2 Vt I inches high ;» the standard^ speed today is* 90 feet perl minute, but atj that time itl was 320 feet! per minute. Over seven miles of film „. , „ , , was used on B!08raph Standard this fight. This picture was given to the public at 5,575 feet.