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The History of Lighting

The History of Lighting. From Genesis all the way to Revelations (in a non-Biblical sense). In the Beginning…. Light has always been an important part of theatre, and life as well. The first action in the Bible was the creation of light. Plays by Man, lights by Nature.

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The History of Lighting

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  1. The History of Lighting From Genesis all the way to Revelations (in a non-Biblical sense)

  2. In the Beginning… • Light has always been an important part of theatre, and life as well. The first action in the Bible was the creation of light.

  3. Plays by Man, lights by Nature • Early lighting for plays was plain and simple. From the Greeks to Medieval times, the only light source was the sun.

  4. She lit up a candle and she showed me the way… • Candles began to be used extensively in 1508, with the opening of the TeatroOlimpico.

  5. Oil’s well that ends well • C. 1780 - AimeArgand develops the oil lamp. • Oil lamps became commonly used in households and theatres. Most oil lamps of the period Used whale oil.

  6. Cookin’ with gas • 1803 – Gaslight was developed by William Murdoch • 1816 – First gaslight system installed in the Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia • 1840’s – the gas table invented to control gaslights

  7. The universal dream • 1816 – Charles Drummond invents a light powered by calcium oxide • The light is used as the first spotlight in history • The greenish glow of the chemical reaction leads to the term “limelight”

  8. How a limelight works • A pilot light is used to provide a ready flame. • Bottled oxygen and hydrogen is pumped in to light a flame • The flame burns a cylinder of calcium oxide (2572° Celsius) • A screw is used to raise and lower the cylinder, depending on the desired light level

  9. FIRE! • Artificial lighting until the late 19th century utilized flames in some form or another • This led to many fires, and countless theatres burning down

  10. It’s electric! (boogie-oogie-oogie-oogie) • 1879 – Thomas Edison invents the incandescent light bulb. • 1881 – The Savoy Theatre in London installs the first electric lighting system. • By the 1890’s, most theatre houses had switched from gaslight to electrics.

  11. Twentieth Century Lights • 1903 – The Kliegel brothers invent dimmers to control electric lights

  12. Spot on! • 1904 – Louis Hartmann invents the electric spotlight for use in a play by David Belasco

  13. Pronounced freh-NEL • 1929 – The Kliegl brothers invent thefresnellight

  14. Not ‘less you think round’s funny… • 1933 – The Kliegls invent the ellipsoidal reflector spotlight. KlieglightLeko Light

  15. The Source is with you • 1992 – ETC introduces the world to the Source4 ERS, a highly energy efficient and flexible lighting instrument.

  16. Lighting today • Lighting in theatre today is almost exclusively electric • Open or closed flames are only used as practical lighting

  17. The Future • LED lights offer bright illumination using less electricity than incandescent lamps • Within 10-15 years, LED fresnels will begin to be the standard for stage lighting

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