POUUFF!
Yes, I do remember when photographers used explosive light sticks when they shot poorly lit subjects... indoors and out of doors.
That would be about seventy some years ago. I have distinct memory of posing for a Sixth Grade group picture at Radford,Virginia's Central School in which the professional picture taker of that day fired off a yard long wooden stick containing what we all thought was simply gun powder on a electric wire.
There was an older photographic firm in the area then, and for some reason he had the contract for doing the Class Pictures. He may well have possessed some of Matthew Brady's civil war cameras potted at a yard sale, because his equipment made quite a boxy showing at our Â?Yearly Pitcher Takin'sÂ? .The equipment was, I'm sure, even then, getting into the antique or collector items stage. It was beautiful. Made of contrasting dark and light woods with fine grain and all keep clean and bright. The units had special care, on could see. The photographer was a spry littlegreyey-bearded man who could have played a role easily in any Irish fable with ease. He radiated good cheer by his very presence and we kids were eager to do as he instructed when it came time to take our pictures.
We always looked forward to that time of the school year when pictures were to be taken. Parent were told because the who plan hinged on parents, grandparents and other relatives agreeing to buy so many prints of the class pictures. That could become a major expense if a family had children in several class levels. They were, in effect, the Â?:Year Books:Â? of yesterday and deemed to b e a natural part of educational expense. Parent, grandparents, Aunts, great-Aunts and other relatives running right down to removed cousins - anyone who could scrape up a spare dollar - was sought out diligently
The picture were all made in one location . The school auditorium which consisted of two classroom with the center wall removed forming one, larger area. Lines of miss-matched wooden chairs formed the seating area. The Â?stageÂ? was a platform
raised eighteen inches above the level of the floor across the inside wall area of the double room made one.
Each class took its turn upon the stage.
The aged photographer had set up his equipment in advance, probably ten feet from the edge of the stage and it was uncovered so we could watch him getting ready to Â?shootÂ?.:. In one sense he doing just that, because we knew he would make use of the device which was still being used at that time Â? a yard long g stick which he would hold in the on a broom-pole extended. The old man powdered the top of the yard long bar which was, to us, literally gun powder and handed it to a young girl Â? his granddaughter who held it gingerly aloft until he had need of it.. She held it while he busied himself with the black hood he was to place over his head and camera.
We were instructed to stand perfectly still and to look at a specific place marked on the far wall. A breathless moment, then he reached out and took possession of the pre-powdered light stick He held it aloft in one hand and after a special, longest-second-ever time, until we heard the command Â?SmileÂ? from under the hood. At that instant, as we stared in amazement the bar of the stick exploded in to a sudden mass of light and gave a mighty Â? Pooouff!Â? .A cloud of white smoke filled the room above the stick an d the cameraman emerged from his hood to say the picture was a success. He thanked
us for being there to pose for him and he expressed hope that the next group might be as polite and attentive. He know how to work a crowd of youngsters
The main attraction for us was the light device, of course. We found later it was coated with potassium nitrate mixed with other components. Oddly enough much of the lore is now associated with the making of home-made bombs and is avoided when children are listening or reading. In our Civil war era other chemical substances were used to provide a blue light which was helpful in some photography.
I remember the Â?swoosh!Â? by the gadget and the anticipation which excited us in awaiting the Â?es-ploshun!Â? Small wonder that so many of the subjects had expressions of amazement on their pictured faces.
A.L.M. June 8, 2004 [c772wds]
