288 ELECTRIC LIGHTING. 



"A. Liebert, the well-known distinguished artist, last Saturday 

 invited the press to his artistic and elegant mansion in the Rue 

 de Londres to witness photographic experiments by means of the 

 electric light. We use an ill-chosen word in saying experiments, 

 for they were not experiments, but a real and practical applica- 

 tion of the electric light to photography. The sun is no longer 

 indispensable; I believe Liebert has even dispensed with his 

 services entirely. By the new system the studio is always ready 

 to receive sitters, at midnight as well as at noon, and the opera- 

 tions are carried on regularly and uninterruptedly. 



" Liebert obtains these interesting results by means of a very 

 simple arrangement. A hemisphere of two metres in diameter is 

 hung from the ceiling, so as to present its concavity towards the 

 sitter. This hemisphere carries two electric light carbons, of 

 which one is fixed, while the other is made movable by a screw 

 connected with its holder. The carbons are brought together at 

 right angles to each other. It is, in fact, an ordinary regulator, 

 with only the difference that there is no mechanism, the carbons 

 being brought together by hand as required by their consumption. 

 At each posing of the sitter the two carbons must be placed at 

 the proper point. The duration of the sitting is so short that 

 this cannot fail during the interval. 



" The novelty and the improvement of the system consist in 

 the circumstance of the light not falling directly upon the sitter. 

 This light is first of all projected upon a screen, which in turn 

 reflects it to the interior of the hemisphere, which is of dazzling 

 whiteness, so that the luminous rays thus dispersed and divided 

 surround the person whose portrait is to be taken. The illumi- 

 nation is splendid ; the face is softly lighted, without any hard 

 and exaggerated shadows. The sitter's eyes easily support the 

 brilliancy of this light, and do not suffer from any unpleasant 

 glare. 



"A dozen portraits were taken between 11 o'clock and mid- 

 night with the greatest ease, and all were perfectly successful, to 

 the great satisfaction of the guests so kindly invited by M. and 

 Mme. Liebert. 



"The electric light used for this purpose is produced by a 

 Gramme machine, driven by a gas-engine of 4 horse-power at 

 the rate of 900 turns per minute." 



