Buy and read the book Sixty Years of Light Work - an Autobiography by Fred Bentham, Entertainment Technology Press. I believe he even traveled there to sell lights he talked about in the book. Been a few years since read, but overall the book will get you into some concepts of what was going on in lighting during the earlier euro times. Also a 1936 Strand catalog within it that's very useful - I even have two #73 in collection that's an interesting Pre-Leko concept but am still searching for a #23 that's a PC but so much beloved as per even as much as a Leko. Don't think the Fresnel is much mentioned but there is other lighting gear and work on concepts in lighting design that one could easily parallel the wants of this character to. This out of building up the heroin and or design for the lighting of the times.