Where can I get McCandless' "A Method of Lighting the Stage"?

randerson

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I want to get a hold of a copy of Stanley McCandless' "A Method of Lighting the Stage". Its out of print, $70 on amazon, not on google books, don't want to deal with Questia.com, and not available at local libraries. Does anyone have a .pdf version?
 
re: Where can I get McCandless' "A Method of Lighting the Stage"?

I was going to suggest eBay, as I bought a copy a year or so ago for $4. They have one from 1984, not even a first edition or anything, listed for $198.95! :shock:

There are several on alibris. I'd never heard of questia, but it seems to work fine.
I'm guessing a PDF copy would be a no-no, without permission.
 
re: Where can I get McCandless' "A Method of Lighting the Stage"?

Your best bet is probably at libraries. Are you from the New York City area? If so, you're in luck. I know the NYPL for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center has (or at least had) a copy, and I'm sure there's a few more places around town that will as well. If you're near a college or university with a theatre program, check in their library as well - we have a copy here at my school, and apparently I was the first person to check it out in like 3 years. If your local library has good interlibrary loan system, you can also try to see if they can find you a copy. And best of all, these are all free!
 
re: Where can I get McCandless' "A Method of Lighting the Stage"?

OH SNAP

Did a quick search, found out my school has BOTH "A Method of Lighting the Stage" (1958) AND "A Syllabus of Stage Lighting" (1964). I know what I'm doing tomorrow.

EDIT: Just reserved them for pickup tomorrow.

WHY HAVE I NEVER LOOKED TILL NOW
 
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re: Where can I get McCandless' "A Method of Lighting the Stage"?

Picked 'em up the other day:

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re: Where can I get McCandless' "A Method of Lighting the Stage"?

A method of lighting the stage

The publisher, Theatre Arts Books, doesn't seem to be around anymore. Most of his works (and further, anything before 1978) falls under the category of the 1909 copyright act, and by my understanding, should be in public domain, so long as it was published over 56 years ago. If you want to research this futher, the wikipedia page for the law this should fall under

Copyright Act of 1909 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
re: Where can I get McCandless' "A Method of Lighting the Stage"?

Just curious

My copy is the fourth printing - 1958 and is brown not blue.

What edition is the blue one?
 
re: Where can I get McCandless' "A Method of Lighting the Stage"?

Well, mine is Fourth Edition, 1958. Sixth Printing, 1978. I bought it new in, IIRC, 1980.
 
re: Where can I get McCandless' "A Method of Lighting the Stage"?

Now I need to try and find one... I've checked my entire school district and they don't have it, the public libraries don't have it... and I really don't want to buy the thing...
 
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re: Where can I get McCandless' "A Method of Lighting the Stage"?

Know I need to try and find one... I've checked my entire school district and they don't have it, the public libraries don't have it... and I really don't want to buy the thing...

Ask the staff at your local public library to get it via interlibrary loan. If they can locate it at a library in another city or county, they can borrow it.
 
re: Where can I get McCandless' "A Method of Lighting the Stage"?

Know I need to try and find one... I've checked my entire school district and they don't have it, the public libraries don't have it... and I really don't want to buy the thing...

McCandless, Stanley R. Glossary of Stage Lighting. New York: Theatre Arts, Inc. 1926.
McCandless, Stanley R. Lighting the School Auditorium and Stage. School Executive, June, 1946.
McCandless, Stanley R. Lighting for the Audience. New Haven, Conn.: Illuminating Engineering, 46: (August 1951) 1952.

Other books beyond the one I once read either at Elmhurst College or Illinois State University, but have not found again. Believe it was called "The Essentials of Stage Lighting" by him as his third main book. Or am I confused like 20 years later in it being the above former Glossary book? (Possible.) This in addition to "A Syllabus" which is a great text also - gets into the more technical type details of lighting, fixture design and history of lighting/lamps. Really good book the Syllabus - say in my top 15.

Of A' Method, I have a third 1947 and fifth 1973 printings. Other than forwards and a few things changed and are interesting, but for the most part it's the same info and should be. The third printing was a gift and had it's jacket. It was probably found in a used book store for like $10.00. The Fifth printing was my "used" college text book in about 1991. What colleges are no longer requiring this as a text to read?

Should be a plethora of these books on the market in used book stores, Amazon, E-Bay and with other sources including library sales and book seller festivals. Above noting of E-Bay pricing at times over priced, with some patience and looking about you should find one for your own library at an economical cost.

I do think this book important to hold in reading and have to re-read later. This “A Method” is a book I have read a few times and is probably the #1 book in my library I have studied. I would easily save my Fuchs’ and a few other books first in that the A’ Method is more easily replaced, but for a base study into lighting a copy on hand is important. On-Line copy... yea you can read it but it won’t be immediate or referenced as easily as for me in pulling something I want to know such as in this case which ones I have from the book shelf.

Don’t know about current design theory and web type stuff but often when I was designing, I wanted that info at easy grasp. A web search and even book mark for a source, than scrolling thru to find what I was looking for takes more time than grabbing the book and thumbing thru it. Often at work I even prefer to use my hard copy library of catalogs in search than web searches. Web searches take often twice as long to find what you want especially dependant on how the website was set up. McMaster Carr for search... in the current year they did too much in ease for someone but leaving me behind. Other sites like Cooper... it could be an all day search on the web - verses pull out the catalogue and you can find what you are looking for.

Yea, everyone should have a copy of the McCandless “A Method of Lighting the Stage” that is a lighting person I think. Goal should be under $20.00 for it - with shipping perhaps included given how many of this book is out there. Say up to $30.00 and worth it. Like the “Backstage Handbook”... two of the first two base books all should have - “Photometrics Handbook” I think running third. These are base books that new books supplement but necessary classics still.
 

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