!
Since the topic is so
broad I've been lately concentrating on the use of gas lighting in early
theatre's. Any suggestions for sources for more information?
I'm not concentrating on types of early instruments but rather types of lamps used. Although i understand that the type of lamp used would dictate the
instrument type, so I'm open to instrumentation information also but that is not my main focus.
Thanks for the Help!!
Hmm, gas lights don't use lamps persay. Not sure where your research is headed, how
broad it has gone or where it is leading you to in focus. On the other
hand, I might recommend in framing this research into the Iroquois Theater disaster of 1903.
Book "Tinder Box" by Hatch, "The Iroquois Theater fire of 1903" by Brandt, Brandt's "Chicago Death
Trap", and Freeman's "On the Safeguarding of Life in Theaters" would be a good start. This fire by way of an arc lamp not so well tended it would seem, still it will set you into the change over between lighting types.
As with various research into Craig, Jones and Appia. Fuchs "
Stage Lighting" masterwork of course amongst other books to look towards. Fulchs especially amongst other authors such as
McCandless "Glossary of
Stage Lighting", Schroeder's "History of
Electric Light", Vernon's "Theater Lighting - Past and Present", Boulanger's "Theater Lighting from A to Z", Benthan's "The Art of
Stage Lighting", Appia's "Die Musik und die Inscenierung", Graves "Lighting the Shakespearean
Stage",
McCandless "A Method of Lighting the
Stage",
McCandless "Syllabus for Lighting the
Stage", Williams "Technique of
Stage Lighting", Penzel's "
Theatre Lighting Before Electricity", Bryan's "American Theatrical Regulation, 1607-1900: Conpects and Texts", Flynn's "Architectural Lighting Graphics", Cheney's "The Art of Theater", Cooper's "Designing the
Play", Gamble's "The Development of Scenic Art and
Stage Machinery", Nicoll's "The Development of the Theater", Lavre's "Drama, It's Costume and Decor", Books about Craig such as by Innes, Waine's "Effects for Theater", Brook's "The Empty Space" while not as much would be good in framing change into eras and understanding needs of the day, Mantzius's "History of Theatrical ARt in Ancient and Modern Times", copies of Craig's "The Mask" along with Bentham's various
Strand Stage Lighting and other publications. Heffner's "Modern Theater Practice", Nagler's "A Source
Book in Theater History", D'Amico's "Theater Art", Macgowan's The
Theatre of Tomorrow", Grotowski's "Towards a Poor
Theatre" also would help frame the change to
incandescent in addition to the readings on the fire and by Appia, Jones and Craig.
All above books in addition to others I'm not aware of persay should have lots of info about from what I understand it your interest. Note... the 400G30FL is possibly the only
stage lighting lamp still in production that has not changed since the 1920's? What is the reason that a 400G30SP was never produced and what about such a concept of lamps did Fuchs
lay out should become a primary question. You will also note, Jones, Craig,
McCandless, Fulchs and many other authors over the years all forsee and have problems with the same things for the last 90 years or so. This by way of simple engineering and fixtures. Some things change, others don't.
Good luck on the research and paper. Also Lighting Dimensions and Theater Crafts old issues, along with American Theater and other magazines might be of help should you find an index of what to look for.