1012] 071 fhp Gaumont SpmTcinfi Cinematograph Films. 483 



problem has been solved in a masterly and convincing; manner. 

 Phonograph, Gramophone and Cinematograph have, each and all 

 independently been great industrial and commercial successes. 

 Perhaps there is even a brighter future for the " Chronophone," 

 combining as it does two specifically different instruments, the one 

 appealing to the eye, the other to the ear. 



First Demonstration of Chronophone and " Filmparlants''' or Speaking 

 Cinematograph Films, to a Scientific Society. 



Only a short time ago, just before the close of the year 1910, 

 Thomas Alva Edison himself — who was the inventor of the phono- 

 graph — is reported to have said when addressing some members of 

 the American press, that he had worked for many years at the 

 problem of how to obtain a perfect synchronism between the phono- 

 graph and the cinematograph. The problem of how to obtain 

 perfect synchronism between the pictures projected on the screen by 

 a Cinematograph and the words spoken by the actors participating 

 in the scene in such a way as to add voice and speech to the reality, 

 and so complete the illusion of life, is one which has occupied the 

 attention of many investigators in both worlds for fifteen years or 

 more. Its practical solution was accomplished by Mons. Gaumont 

 and his collaborators more than a year ago. 



Just as the success of Helmholtz followed the prediction of 

 Johannes Miiller, so, while Edison himself, that great inventor and 

 pioneer of science, was still experimenting, Mons. Leon Gaumont, 

 and his scientific staff and his collaborators, who had also devoted 

 years of study to the problem, had practically solved the question, 

 as you shall see and hear for yourselves to-night. The " Chrono- 

 phone" and "Filmparlants," or " Speaking films" — were demonstrated 

 to the Academie des Sciences in Paris on December 27, 1910, when 

 Prof. d'Arsonval had the unique pleasure of seeing and hearing 

 himself making a speech before that august body of Savants. 



The earliest arrangement used for synchronisation is shown in 

 Fig. 1. At A is a Gramme's ring divided say into eight sections, each 

 of which is united by a corresponding wire to one of the eight contacts 

 of the " collecteur " C. In A is a Siemens' bobbin through which a 

 current from a battery can be passed when required. Two brushes, 

 D and E, are mounted on an arm which can be rotated round C so 

 as to distribute the current from the battery placed at the right, as 

 shown in the figure. If D and E are at rest all is at rest. If, how- 

 ever, the brush contacts are rotated, the current from the battery is 

 successively distributed in the eight sections of the ring. 



If the bobbin is traversed by a continuous current, it will follow 

 exactly the movements of the arrangement carrying the brush con- 

 tacts. Under these conditions, all that is necessary is to couple up 

 the distributor of the Phonograph and the shaft of the Siemens' 

 Vol. XX. (No. lOG) 2 K 



