Vintage Lighting Magic Moon c.1925.

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Wood 1x4 Pine, framed by bent and lead soldered 20ga tin steel sealed boxed 16" square frame 3.1/2" thick. Very 1920's or earlier in lead soldered cap and edges on the framing, but spot welded corners so possibly later? Think wood as a mounting means for lamp socket mounting added after welding for obvious reasons.

8" opening lit by 4x 75 Watt incandescent A-Lamps in the corners.

Two rigging points which are on center from the top and rear top. (Interesting in comparison to drawings I have seen in rigging from edges in books for such a fixture.) Wood eye screw types screwed into the lumber inner frame. Very light gauge eyebolts (and not throught bolted) in only1/8" and zinc plated and possibly replacement rigging eyes, but no holes to indicate other rigging points..

Wiring power in thru the bottom of the fixture with short whip and L1-15 plug. Suppose trailing from the bottom is easier than managing cable from the grid, though there is indications of rigging from both sides = cable up/cable down in the past.

Short whip for the Magic Moon I can understand - in the days before panel mounted plugs, the shorter whip in black spot behind the scrim would mask the plug connection size dark spot in being closer to the light source behind the scrim.

Cable bottom or top feeding the fixture from the bottom or top would be an either or thing in seen or not thru a scrim - though easier to cable manage from the bottom.

Wiring in the fixture (kicking myself in I have a note of the type of wiring but cannot find it - or in a corrupted/re-written file.) 14ga, thick jacket, knob & tube household wiring something similar to solid rayon covered 1/4" dia wiring from 1914 thru the 30's in use.

Half of the terminals on the lamp sockets were loose, letting conductors fall out or in general loose. Lamp sockets the 2" square Porcelain surface sign mount - not the proper lamp socket for such a fixture where terminals are exposed.

Installed by #8x7/8" flat head wood screws - not far into the wood & one fell out.

Interesting, an indication of melted silicone on or around and under some lamp bases = someone did some work on the fixture at some point. Nothing substantial, and the low temperature silicone bled away in making a safe fixture to use for a time perhaps for the effort. Well intended effort, but as normal for the theater.... just one step above the pay grade in work done in seeing. (Stuff like EGE lamps installed in 6" Fresnels.)

At the same time perhaps a goldish spray paint was added to the silver spray to the inner frame.

Leviton #9880 surface mount lamp socket was available at the time and will have been a more proper lamp socket to use in safety. Don’t know if from c.1925 factory or who ever was working the fixture afterwards put the wrong lamp sockets into the fixture... not important. In giving back to the theater “restored” it will also have to be code compliant as best possible to historical needs (not adding a ground), but compliant with wiring standards. No exposed lamp socket terminals for instance.

I will re-wire it 12ga. SF-2 wire, and a 16/3 SOOW cord in clipping the ground - nothing to attach to on inner frame & would have to tap antique outer shell otherwise, I’ll probably add a two screw clamp inside the fixture as a stop. 12ga wire inside the fixture so I can un-support it between lamp sockets as was done. 16/3 SOOW, because it’s the minimum gauge allowable.

Lamps will be re-installed though I will ask my boss after done... do I need to add LED Color Temp. Changing tape to this? TBA in just restoring or making something that could be put on a dimmer curve inside the museum this theater is starting to grow by way of my restoration. How to rig it also than will be a question. Though I believe I have stored up some other than zinc antique plated eyebolts from the past which might help.

It’s basically a light box with an open hole in it’s center. How it was rigged and used is the important part of the creation. Magic Moon - a moon that moves during the show back in c1925 and before... Important lighting fixture for period design.

 

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Given this is a unkown brand, but clearly museum piece, and a Magic Moon that at some point someone added Goldish paint to it...
Can anyone help figure out a photo/design concept for the history of it and use of this and so as to be put on a simple sign for it as per a placard one might find at a museum or zoo?

This if anyone board and interested in wht the heck is this learning? And why is it important? Personally really busy at work and will be moving onto other lights. I suck at the followup presentation literature stuff.

 

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Given the gold inner paint, Magic Sun, or something not magic. Not much helpful on this or lightning. Forget what Encyclopedia of Stage Lighting or Theaterical Lighting from A to Z called such a fixture in not being helpful.

Researching onto this magic moon from books, and the an old school dimmer with a wired to claw hammer attached to it, thought to be a lightning effect.. Photo's I have seen similar in trying to find verification of what it is, and photos of the actual claw hammer attached to old school resistance dimmer. This thought to be lighting effect. "I have seen this before".

Pulled my stack of lighting books out of the attic (family needs more room to store... what ever so my books attic), almost 3' high in appropriate books to study. Got thru 2/3 of them tonight. Wife says... why don't you do just do internet research.... These are the origional source books internet is written from, in following up with internet as best possible. Assuming a Magic Moon built in c.1925... probably not many origional living sources. Assuming a lightning effect I know I have seen somewhere, in knowing what it is.... I hopefully can find it.


Current research:
Lightning Effect:
“Lightning more naturalistic than that produced by a projected cut out is created by momentary contacts between a carbon and a metal terminal. This lightning effect, which is offered for sale, is properly enclosed to guard against fire. One type is operated by hand and another is operated by a magnet so that it can be controlled electronically from a distance.” - p.67 Essentials of Stage Lighting, Hunton D. Sellman. New Jersey. Prentice - Hall Inc. 1972.

“4. The old method of using an electrically charged stick of carbon in conjunction with a steel file has been superseded by the above safer options.” - p.109 Lighting the Stage, P.Cory, London. SIR Isaac Pitman & Sons, LTD. 1954.

“A common method of making lightning flashes is by making momentary contacts between a carbon and metal terminal. The operator should be certain that there is some resistance or ballast in the circuit to prevent too much current flowing (see Ch.2). Professionally made lighting flashers are made in this manner and enclosed with a wire screen to prevent fire from sparks. Some of them are magnetically operated for remote control, but they are too noisy unless the thunder is synchronized to cover the contact noise.... - p.285 Stage Scenery and Lighting, Samuel Selden. F.S. Crofts. New York 1940.

The traditional, and most dangerous, way of creating is by rapidly striking and breaking the contacts of an arc. While this method is effective, it is also very dangerous because an arc of sufficient intensity will use 220-volt electricity; and the brilliance (and ultraviolet emissions) of the arc can severely damage the retina of the operator or anyone looking at the contact zone when the arc is made. - p.110 Designing with Light, J. Michael Gillette. Mayfield Publishing Co. California 1989.

Lightning Flashes can be simulated simply by “flashing” the white circuit in the boarder lights on or off. But a far better effect can be secured if real lightning is reproduced, on a small scale, by actually drawing an arc between opposite poles of an electrical circuit. This can be done most simply and most effectively by firmly connecting one wireofa circuit to a large, coarse-tooth, flat file or rasp, and the other wire of the circuit to a short length of carbon (such as used in carbon arc lights). A suitable resistance should be interposed in the circuit to restrict the flow of current to a safe maximum. Both the carbon and the file should be provided with well-insulated handles by which the operator my safely grasp them. When the circuit is alive, the arc may bedrawn by lightly touching the file with the tip of the carbon. The arc can then be “trickled” to and fro along the file. With a little practice, lightning flashes can be most realistically simulated in this manner. The process is likely to appear a bit hazardous: the inexperienced operator should wear gloves and should keep his face behind a sheet of red gelatin, which will protect his face from flying sparks and his eyes from the blinding effect of the flash. .... - p.444 Stage Lighting, Theodore Fuchs. Little, Brown & Co. Boston 1929.





Magic Moon/Sun Effect:
Moon Effects
The Moon can be re-created in a couple of ways. Traditionally used (and still effective) is the moon box, which is illustrated in figure 8.6. This wooden box has the silhouette of the desired phase of the moon cut out of the front of the box. The inner face of this cutout is covered with muslin to diffuse the light, and the cutout is surrounded with between six and eight 25-to-40watt lamps wired in parallel. (If you use fewer than six lamps it may be possible to see hot spots from the individual lamps.) The completed moon box is suspended in the back of the cyc or sky tab and connected to a dimmer, and the intensity is adjusted accordingly. The moon box can also be rigged to move, and so it is possible to have a “rising” or “setting” moon. -p.108-109 Designing with Light, J. Michael Gillette. Mayfield Publishing Co. California 1989.

Moon Box or Sun Box
The moon box or sun box is very similar to the light box in construction. The only difference is that instead of having a painting mounted to the front, a round opening (or crescent if a partial moon is needed is cut into the front.
The box is almost always made using incandescent lamps, generally A-type. It important that the lamps are masked so they do not directly shine out of the opening in the box. The box is hung a couple of inches upstage of a scrim. When the box is lit a very effective moon or sun is projected onto the scrim. If the box is mounted onto a pulley system, different positions may be used during a performance. -p.118 Stage Lighting Revealed, Glen Cunningham. Betterway Books. Cincinnati, Ohio 1993,

The front of the light box can be covered to suit the design requirements. Often the front is made of calico which will help to disperse the light over the whole area. If the ligth box is being used to create a moon, then a piece of black card or wood can be cut to the required shape, depending on how full the moon is meant to be. This is then fitted to the front of the light box.
A light box of this type (now made into a moon box) is usually hung directly behind a cyclorama or backcloth. It is important that the box is positioned so that it is virtually touching the cloth or it will not create a sharp enough image.
This is probably the best method of creating a moon, as any shape can be quite easily produced and there are no distortion problems. Of course, the light box can be used for many other different effects. Any shape can be cut, or fretted out of a wooden sheet and then fitted to the front of the light box..
.... A Sun Box
If the lighting box is to be used as a sun box (as opposed to a moon box), then the colors could be made to fade from whitish yellow to golden amber as the sun sets. The effect can be greatly enhanced by supporting the sun box on a flying line and then slowly lowering it down the back of the cyclorama, so the sun “sets”. -p.116 Create Your Own Stage Lighting Tim Streader and John A. Williams. Prentice-Hall, Inc. New Jersey 1985.

 

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Found it!
Finally uploaded my "Backstage Handbook Notes" copy from work - my home version got corrupted.

DBRC- Old Household, double braided rubber coated wire with cotton braid. Weather and fire resistant.

With two other classifications of wiring not safe to use:
AF- Asbestos 302°F. Fixture wire,18-10 Awg. Heat resistant,With some moisture resistant types.300v. Max.
AL- Impregnated Asbestos Under 300v. 257°F., Dry only.

DBRC Looks like heat wire but is not. Solid about 10ga was in use - nice work and probably safe 95 years ago... but it was time to go to 12ga. SF-2 (gauge of wire so it does not sag.) Cable supports, cord grip and bushing thru the wood.

Antique c.1925 porcelain bushing epoxied in on one side of the lumber, with a 2-screw romex cord grip epoxied in from the other side. Industrial grade epoxy as high temp. as possible. Lamp sockets replaced to same design for the era pony cleat that are touch safe - couldn't leave exposed terminals of surface (in photo). Added cable supports between sockets off spare 2-screw cord grips to support the smaller gauge stranded wire. New 16/3 SOOW cable & plug (ground cut as there is nowhere to ground.) 75w standard Incandescent A-lamps once cleaned needed no arching cleanup of the bead and cleaned well and all worked. Works...

Only challenge or problem was I didn't like the proximity of 75w lamps to the painted but warn paint on the 1x4 lumber making up the side walls. Decided to paint those before finishing wiring. Can't find or out of high temp white. Epoxy Enamal white paint I do have.... Nasty spray paint to work with. Were I thinking... I will have masked the rear reflector from its overspray... GoofOff helped some and didn't remove much of the gold paint on the rear-reflector. Didn't want to scrub the white away too much so a small corner of gold is now gold/white. Was white origionally, someone changed this from moon to sun.

Done...

1x4 frame with sheet metal front and back bent to shape around it and hammered tight with brads.