The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

8 THE PHONOSCOPE August-September, 1897 " picture projecting " devices Exhibition of Corbett=Fitzsimmons Fight at the Lyceum Causes a Riot. 20 Police Officers Summoned to the Scene The much heralded "fac-simile" exhibition of the Corbet'.-Fitzsimmons prize fight has been seen in Elizabeth, X. J., and Manager Simonds of the Lyceum theatre is a sadder and wiser man, and one thousand persons interested in sporting events are kicking themselves and anxiously awaiting the hour for the box office to open when the management has promised to refund the money paid for admission. The crowd began to assemble in front of the theatre as early as half-past six o'clock and when Treasurer Stillman opened his box office window the nickels, and dimes and quarters fairly rained in upon him for an hour. Of course there was nothing wrong in looking at the pictures of a prize fight, especially as the views were only a fac-simile, and as a result, citizens in all walks of life were seen among the audience. There were but few ladies present > but some of Elizabeth's best people were seen scattered about the theatre, and they eagerly joined with the gallery gods in the calls for the show to begin. After several overtures by Miss May Hector, who presided at the piano, the lights in the theatre were extinguished and a white light appeared on a'large muslin curtain which hung on the rear wall of the stage. This light was about eight feet high and five wide. When the size of focus was seen on the curtain suspicions of a cheap exhibition began to creep through the fifty-cent seats, and questions could be heard on all sides about "this fac-simile business." It was surprising to see how many people there were who did not know the meaning of the compound word fac-simile. They know it, however, now. The operator at the machine started off the entertainment with a "jollie," and endeavored to put the audience in good humor by unwinding that fierce old chestnut representing the bath of a colored baby. A few people laughed, but the crowd was there to see the fight pictures and the bath business did not amuse them. The picture passed off the curtain without approbation. After another overture the lights were extinguished and the audience breathlessly awaited the appearance of the "fighting gladiators." After a delay of several minutes, which seemed hours to the small boy in the gallery, the longlooked for light appeared on the curtain, and on walked three men, who completely filled the space. The audience saw that the picture was a fake in an instant. One of the men wore a wig — plainly visible — imitating Fitzsimmons' bald pate, and the other was made up, pompadour and all, lo repre sent "Gentleman Jim." . Between these two "gladiators" stood a tall man attired in a yachting suit. The figures soon began to move and a deadly silence prevailed for several seconds. Then the gallery broke forth with a volume of hisses that would have drowned the steam blow-off on one of the great compound locomotives of the Central railroad. This outbreak was caused by the movement of the figures on the curtain. The "gladiators" moved about as if they were set to an adagio movement of music and their fists beat the tempo. It was frightful and disgusting. Manager Simonds should have stopped the proceeding right here and refunded the money. The manager of the show, however, said the next round would be all right, and lights were extinguished again for the second round. The big "gladiators" strolled leisurely about again, and were greeted with a cyclone of hisses and cat calls. Chief Tenney was in the audience and he sent a hurry call to police headquarters which was answered by the prompt appearance of about twenty policemen. The chief took this step as a precaution, but the services of the policemen were not required. The "fight" became such a farce that the audience left the theatre in a laughing disgust, as it were. It was announced from the stage that money would be refunded at the box office. The management of the machine represented the pictures to be a fac-simile of the Corbett-Fitzsimmons fight. The definition of the word fac-simile is "An exact copy, or likeness," etc. Was the exhibition last night an exact likeness of the fight, which took place at Carson on St. Patrick's day? As the management was greatly taken in by the proprietor of the alleged "CorbettFitzsimmons fight" at the Lyceum theatre all persons holding seat coupons will have the same cashed at the box office. With requests that everything should be exhibited on the Lyceum stage not in keeping with the usual high class attractions, Lremain very respectfully A. H. SIMONDS, Manager. Oraphoscope with Talking Pictures Many baldheads will recall the furor Lulu made in their green and salad days. How in 1871 she became the popular idol and at Niblo's Garden was nightly shot from the stage like a human arrow, Lulu was billed as "Queen of the Air." It was not until Lulu had aroused the cities of two continents that it w7as discovered that the "Queen of the Air" was a man. He came here in 1884 and has since resided here. During the vears L. Farini wTas impersonating Lulu he was obliged to live in seclusion. For occupation he painted and practised drawing. Naturally gifted, he. made rapid strides. During the years he was in Africa with Barney Barnato he took thousands of photographs. After he settled in Bridgeport, L. Farini delivered a series of lectures before the Fairfield County Scientific Society, also before the faculty of Yale College, on "The Dark Continent," using the photographs he had taken in Africa in the stereopticon. Just now Farini became conspicuous again because of his invention of the graphoscope, for projecting moving pictures, together with the coloring and also the sounds and voices of these moving pictures, by the application of the graphophone. One of the things the graphoscope will do is the projection on a screen of the interior of a studio, with a model posing for a portrait. The model is Miss Louise Ulrich, a beautiful girl of twenty-three, selected because of her likeness to Charles J. Chaplin's masterpiece, "The Golden Age." The moving picture begins with a lifesized pose of Miss Ulrich, with hair dishevelled and her head resting on a pillow, with arms and bust bared. The hair is Titian in color, the lips red, the eyes dark hazel. In fact, everything about the portrait is colored as in life. Then the figure begins to move, and says: "Oh, I am tired." Then Miss Finch arises, walks before a mirror and arranges her hair. She puts on her street costume, all the time talking. At last she blows a kiss from the end of her fingers to the artist, waives an adieu and walks out of the studio. Right through this moving picture maintains the same coloring, although some of the impressions have been taken upon the ribbon. There is no false coloring. The film ribbon on which these colored pictures are prepared is sensitive to chemical baths in which are the atoms of various colors. The camera with which these pictures are taken is so arranged that a roll of the film is carried on a reel and is fed before the lens by an intermittent motion which moves the film three-quarters of an inch with each exposure. The exposures are about fifty each second. The film is a ribbon of transparent celluloid, coated with sensitive emulsion. This ribbon is one and three-quarter inches wide, in rolls of 1,000 feet. The film moving mechanism is so contrived that pictures are taken without a flicker. All other inventions which L. Farini has put into practice is turning his graphoscope to follow the object. Heretofore moving pictures have been of objects that pass before the lens. Farini's lens follows the object. ©ur Corresponbence Ux Alaska, July 20 — Nothing to be heard here but talk about the new gold fields on the upper Yukon, and if one-tenth of the reports are true it is a veritable bonanza. One man and his wife who came up in the steerage a year ago and who purchased a claim for 530 returned with between 580,000 and 5100,000, and his wife had S8,ooo of her own in nuggets, which she had picked up while he ate his dinner which she carried to him every day. A nickle-in-the-slot machine sold for 5500, and the first day's receipts were over 55,000. Strikes and finds of from 510,000 to 550,000 are heard of on all sides. A barroom, only one having a license, employs five barkeepers and two clerks to change the dust into coin. They have quite a town — judges, marshals, etc., and even a variety show called the "Opera House." The mines, placer, six feet average to bedrock, are in British territory, about 2000 miles from St. Michaels, at the mouth of the Yukon. There are five small steamers plying on the river, and the company has great difficulty in retaining hands. Fare, $]6o from Frisco and 5125 from here. The men here, even t!-ae agents of the companies, are crazy about gold and all of them are going, having resigned their positions. One man here has paid 550,000 for a claim. The mining is difficult on account of great severity of the winter and the shortness of the summer, besides which they cannot work on account of the high water late in the summer. They are compelled to cut through heavy ice and then to build immense fires to thaw out the ground. The earth, or rather the gravel, is put in piles to await the coming of spring when they can wash it. Men are in great demand: 100 days' work guaranteed; wages from 55 to $'5 per day; but everything is, of course, high; viz., flour, >50 per barrel. National Phonograph Co., Orange, N. .1. The Phonoscope Co. , Gentlemen : We bug to inform our customers and the trade generally that Mr. George E. Tewksbuiy has severed his connection with us and is no longer the geueral sides agent of the National Phonograph Company. All communications, orders and inquires, should he addressed to the National Phonograph Company, Edison Laboratory, Orange, N. .1. We desire to take this opportunity of expressing our appreciation for the past favors that we have received from our friends generally, and we confidently hope to experience a continuation of their patronage. Yours very truly, J. F. Randolph, Secretary.