45 



ON THE ILLUMINATION OF THEATRES. 



By ALFRED AINGER, Esq. 

 rPHE important rank which dramatic representations have 



' ever held among the amusements of all civilized people 

 gives an interest to everything connected with the improve- 

 ment of even their most subordinate auxiliaries. I have ima- 

 gined, therefore, that an investigation of the existing methods 

 of illuminating theatres, and a proposition for remedying some 

 of their defects, may not be thought unworthy of a place in a 

 scientific journal. 



The first, and this is perhaps the most trifling objection to 

 the present system, is, that it is obviously artificial. Although, 

 ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the scene is supposed to 

 be exhibited by natural light, that of the sun or moon, the 

 greater part of the light which reaches the spectator is visibly 

 derived from lamps or candles, which are so conspicuously and 

 variously situated, as of necessity to come more or less within 

 his angle of vision. By this means, not only is the illusion 

 of the scene very much diminished, but its force and vividness, 

 considered as a mere picture, are greatly impaired by the 

 superior intensity of numerous radiating points, which over- 

 power the light merely reflected from the actors and the 

 scenery. A similar injury is occasioned by the unpleasant 

 flickering of the foot-lamps above their screens, and by the 

 excessive light they give to the highly-decorated proscenium, 

 which thus becomes a brilliant and sparkling frame to a com- 

 paratively dull picture. The effect is something like what 

 might be produced by hanging variegated lamps round the 

 edges of a painting ; and, if avoidable, is scarcely more judi- 

 cious. The amazing force of the dioramic pictures is mainly 

 owing to the adoption of an opposite course that of subduing, 

 as much as possible, everything extraneous to the ostensible 

 objects. The central chandeliers, which have been introduced 

 within a few years, produce, to a certain extent, the same sort 

 of mischief, by the powerful light thrown on the ceilings, to 

 which they are of necessity very near, that they may not inter- 

 fere with the view of the upper spectators. This proximity of 

 the ceiling to the chandelier, and its consequent lightness, are 

 further objectionable, because the first causes the decorations 



