Gas To The New Electric Light
The Paris opera house was in fact rigged up with electricity in 1881. So for Erik to have his house rigged with electricity is not too far fetched. A little history behind Gas and electricity in theatre and the Paris Opera house.
Gas lighting & Oil lamps
Gas lighting was first used in theater in the Opera Aladin ou la lampe merveilleuse/ Aladdin or the Marvelous Lamp on Feb 6, 1822 at the Académie royale de musique. Salle Le Peletier, the original Paris Opera installed gas lighting in 1822.
The Comédie-Française in 1823 rigged up their theater with an extensive gaslight system except for the ramp which they continued to use oil until 1873 due to it being easier on the actors eyes. Oil was also used for rehearsals as running gas required a lot of money so to cut costs the administration would use oil. However the use of oil lamps for footlights continued on into the the late half of the 19th century. In 1831 the Ballet of Nuns from Robert le diable by Giacomo Meyerbeer was performed at the Paris Opéra to show case the new gas lighting they had installed, by creating ghastly effects of deceased nuns rising from their tombs. This was also the first ballet blanc (female ballerinas of corps de ballet all wear white dresses or tutus.) and the first romantic ballet. Gas lighting produced a horrible oder and so theaters welcomed the new electric light which left the auditorium odorless leaving the patrons senses to smell other more pleasant things.
The limelight was invented in 1825 specifically for Theater.
The Comédie-Française in 1823 rigged up their theater with an extensive gaslight system except for the ramp which they continued to use oil until 1873 due to it being easier on the actors eyes. Oil was also used for rehearsals as running gas required a lot of money so to cut costs the administration would use oil. However the use of oil lamps for footlights continued on into the the late half of the 19th century. In 1831 the Ballet of Nuns from Robert le diable by Giacomo Meyerbeer was performed at the Paris Opéra to show case the new gas lighting they had installed, by creating ghastly effects of deceased nuns rising from their tombs. This was also the first ballet blanc (female ballerinas of corps de ballet all wear white dresses or tutus.) and the first romantic ballet. Gas lighting produced a horrible oder and so theaters welcomed the new electric light which left the auditorium odorless leaving the patrons senses to smell other more pleasant things.
The limelight was invented in 1825 specifically for Theater.
Jablochkoff's candle 1808
In 1808 Jablochkoff's candle was invented, when in 1800 Sir Humphry Davy and English chemist discovered a short-pulse electric arc. When he invented the alternating current his candles were later used to light the ramps of the Opéra-Comique and the Théâtre du Châtelet. They only lasted for about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Le Prophète's Electric Effect 1846
Small Parisian theaters were using electric lights for effects since the turn of the century. The Paris Opera was 1st introduced to the electric arc lights (carbon arc) in 1847 for stage effects, but the Palais Garnier did not become fully electric till 1881, but they did have some stage effects and electric bells when they first opened in 1875. The effect was for the debut of the Opera Le Prophète by Giacomo Meyerbeer, 1849 (the Opera César the white horse is from in Leroux) which produced the effect of the rising sun. According to an article of an account of it at the time the electric light afforded them the ability to plunge the theater into darkness then light it up again with light so bright the actors cast shadows on the stage. Which was an unknown effect at the time. Electric light was also used for other lighting effects such as lighting up water fountains to make it luminous, it can be used to project stained glass in the walls and grounds of churches, it can make a real rainbow appear when shined through a prism.
Pepper's ghost 1847 and other ghastly effects
Henri Robin a French illusionist in 1845 came up with an idea of making a «spectre impalpable» or an “impalpable specter”. He experimented by placing an actor in the basement brightly lit by a lamp placed behind the 1st mirror perfectly cleaned of smudges tilted at 45 °. Its reflection is reflected in a 2nd mirror which is parallel to it and in front of the stage. The audience therefore see the 2nd reflection and what is on the stage. The specter appears as soon as the lamp is turned on. Henri exhibited it at théâtres de Lyon et de Saint-Etienne under the name Fantasmagorie vivante/ Living Phantasmagorie in 1847. He later opened a theater on boulevard du Temple à Paris that exhibited the trick. An early form of the trick which was not as effective as it later cousin and failed to produce an effect on the audience at the time. The trick is known now as Pepper's ghost named after John Henry Pepper, but he is not the one who invented it only popularizing the effect with a theater demonstration in 1862. This sparked an international trend of ghost themed theatrical works. In 1863 at Chatelet the technique was used in “Le secret de miss Aurore” . This is the same trick the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland uses for the ball room ghosts. In 1853 Gounod's Faust used an arc lamp focused it's light through a red glass tube filled with water when Mephistopheles is to appear seemingly from fire.
Magic Lanterns
The Death of Gas lighting and the tragic history of Ballerinas 1861
Gas lighting was still the dominating lighting for theaters, but it was not without tragedy, almost begging for a more efficient and safer lighting system. Between 1860 and 1880 alone at least 50 theaters were destroyed mostly always resulting from a fire due to lighting.
On the evening of September 14, 1861 at Continental Theatre in Philadelphia, during the second act of Shakespear's the Tempest was about the corpse de ballet was getting ready. The Gale sisters who were all ballerinas were up in their dressing rooms while the Opera went on bellow. One of the sisters Ruth went to grab her tarlentan dress that had become entwined on a gas jet and caught fire. Suddenly she was ablaze screaming she ran across the room. Her Zelia (18) sister ran forward to try and help put out the flames with her hands and also became engulfed in flames. Panic stricken she managed to rip herself away from her sister and run into the other dressing rooms setting other girls dresses on fire. Panic stricken and now on fire all the girls started screaming. Zelia scared out of her mind ran into a large plate of glass and cut her self very badly, frightened she ran screaming down the stairs towards the stage. Tomas Bayard a carpenter ripped a cloth that made up part of sea on the set and warped her in it to extinguished the flames he also suffered burns. At this point the audience was well aware of the horror going on stage and in the dressing rooms for their screams were now audible to them. Anna Mcbride also ran on stage engulfed in flames as well more attendants ran froward ripping off more cloth from the sea to put out the screaming girl, the ones who helped also suffered burns. At this point the curtain came down. Several attempts by actors to calm the audience down, in the face of a disaster were made, by saying a few girls got burned but not very seriously, nothing could be further form the truth and with the mounting chaos backstage it became pointless over the increasingly volume of shrieks of the girls being engulfed in flames. Seven women died that night including all 4 Gale sisters and they were dubbed the "blazing Ballerinas" by newspaper headlines. The girls in a panic were running around only feeding the fires. Hannah Gale (20) leaped from the window and hit the pavement on her back hurting her very badly. In panic Anna Nichols leaped from a platform to the stage 20 feet bellow and was badly hurt from it. Phœbe Forden was badly burned, Clara Clifton jumped out the window and was caught by a spectator. Anna Nichols and Kate Harrison escaped with just minor burn injuries. Surprisingly fire-proofing costumes was available at this time, but sadly most performers because it discolored and stiffened fabrics were opposed to it.
On the evening of September 14, 1861 at Continental Theatre in Philadelphia, during the second act of Shakespear's the Tempest was about the corpse de ballet was getting ready. The Gale sisters who were all ballerinas were up in their dressing rooms while the Opera went on bellow. One of the sisters Ruth went to grab her tarlentan dress that had become entwined on a gas jet and caught fire. Suddenly she was ablaze screaming she ran across the room. Her Zelia (18) sister ran forward to try and help put out the flames with her hands and also became engulfed in flames. Panic stricken she managed to rip herself away from her sister and run into the other dressing rooms setting other girls dresses on fire. Panic stricken and now on fire all the girls started screaming. Zelia scared out of her mind ran into a large plate of glass and cut her self very badly, frightened she ran screaming down the stairs towards the stage. Tomas Bayard a carpenter ripped a cloth that made up part of sea on the set and warped her in it to extinguished the flames he also suffered burns. At this point the audience was well aware of the horror going on stage and in the dressing rooms for their screams were now audible to them. Anna Mcbride also ran on stage engulfed in flames as well more attendants ran froward ripping off more cloth from the sea to put out the screaming girl, the ones who helped also suffered burns. At this point the curtain came down. Several attempts by actors to calm the audience down, in the face of a disaster were made, by saying a few girls got burned but not very seriously, nothing could be further form the truth and with the mounting chaos backstage it became pointless over the increasingly volume of shrieks of the girls being engulfed in flames. Seven women died that night including all 4 Gale sisters and they were dubbed the "blazing Ballerinas" by newspaper headlines. The girls in a panic were running around only feeding the fires. Hannah Gale (20) leaped from the window and hit the pavement on her back hurting her very badly. In panic Anna Nichols leaped from a platform to the stage 20 feet bellow and was badly hurt from it. Phœbe Forden was badly burned, Clara Clifton jumped out the window and was caught by a spectator. Anna Nichols and Kate Harrison escaped with just minor burn injuries. Surprisingly fire-proofing costumes was available at this time, but sadly most performers because it discolored and stiffened fabrics were opposed to it.
The gas lamp ramp was invented by Gustave-Louis Lecoq after the tragic accident of Emma Livry a dancer at the Salle Le Peletier. In 1862 during a rehearsal of La Muette de Portici, Emma who was playing the main role of Fenella during her second-act entrance, she lifted her skirts and the rush of air caused a gaslight to ignited her tutu on fire. In an ironic twist Emma was admittedly against fire-proofing ballet skirts because she said it made them turn an ugly yellow and stiffened the fabric. Covered in flames, Emma ran across the stage three times before she was caught and the fire was extinguished with the help of firemen and other dancers. Her burns were more extensive than deep, with her thighs, waist, back, shoulders and arms effected. Sadly she quickly became a living torch as she ran across the stage 3 times in a panic before a fireman could catch her and extinguished the flames. She had pushed the burning fabric to her torso out of modesty because she was afraid of being naked which didn't help her burns. Marie Taglioni was at the rehearsal mistakenly thought rubbed make-up grease into her wounds would act as ointment. Emma was still against fire-proofing even after getting burned. She sadly succumbed to sepsis only a year later. She was only 20. Gustave-Louis Lecoq had come up with securing each of the nozzles of the high-powered gas ramp by placing an inverted flame, a glass tube, a grid and strong ventilation by a chimney call in the lower part. Which was safer. This ramp was electrified as soon as the incandescent bulbs appeared in the late 1800's.
Jean Bernard Léon Foucault and Julien Duboscq further developed the electric light. In 1863 Allowing self-ignition and longevity they had help pioneer stage effects such as lighting, flashes, sunrises and rainbows. In 1866 at Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin in Paris electric light was used in the crowns of the ballet. The Dynamo was invented in 1866 and then the candescent lamp in 1879 allowed for the electric.
Gramme revolutionized theatrical lighting and was able to reduce the risk of fire, by inventing his electric light Machine called the Gramme Ring. The first generator to produce power on a commercial scale for industry. It was first demonstrated in 1871 at the Academy of Sciences in Paris. Most electric lighting was to work in tandem with the gas, but when in 1887 a fire destroyed the the second Opéra-Comique all hopes of gas continuing in theatre were destroyed. The city of Paris imposed Electric lighting on all theaters.
Opera House Gas 1875
The Paris opera house was lite with gas the halls and corridors were lite with lamps that produced an unpleasant oder. The Opera was also lite by a certain amount of oil lamps in case of an emergency where the gas would have to be shut off. Gas was distributed to all the floors of the theatre and was divided into the lighting for the theatre performances where there is lighting that works day and night, and of course the stage lighting is controlled by the « jeu d'orgue » There is also lights that stay on in dark parts of the building for those who work there at night and the the rounds of the firemen and the supervisors.
Coal gas started being used in 1820 by the Théâtre de l’Odéon in Paris. Lighting effects advanced and became easier as well it was now possible to concentrate light on a particular point of a scene, by means of many valves controlling various pipes which leads to the harrows, ramps, portants and big chandelier. All these various pipes and the ability to control them was called « jeu d'orgue » "organ playing" The name its self alludes to the a pipe organ with a forest of metal pipes also called Régulateur des effets de scène/ Stage effects regulator which was an early form of a light console or board where the stage lights were controlled. The « jeu d'orgue » had a series of graduated wheels which allowed the intensity of lights for the effect of immediate or gradual change of day or night.
The stage at the Paris Opera house was originally bordered by a lighting ramp or foot lights which featured an inverted flame system to prevent actors from catching on fire. In the center of which were located three hole one for the prompter normally called the propter box, and the choirmaster, and another for the stage manager and the lighting director who ordered his team to change the lights. The original system at the Paris Opera house was called « jeu d'orgue » consisting of several hundred gas valves and pipes. One operator was enough to run the « jeu d'orgue ». Previous to the invention of the « jeu d'orgue » gas technicians would have to work together at the same time on each side of the theater on several taps. The Paris Opera even had a special devise that helped the back flow of a flame in the case of having to close a part of the spout called a pressure regulator and another devise that helped with pressure so it never goes bellow a minimum, it was a fear that the gas flames could be extinguished due to theatre effects involving rapid change into night. In other words there is no way the lights could go out in the theatre unless someone made them go out.
Paris Opera House
Electricity & Basement Batteries 1875
Electricity & Basement Batteries 1875
The Paris Opera House was inaugurated in 1875 and with it opening so were 360 Bunsen cells installed. There were 6 batteries containing 60 cell each, that were housed in the lower level of Paris Opera in a room about 50 meters wide. There were 6 long oak tables each were covered with thick glass which severed to protect the wood from corrosive acids of the batters. "The distance that the electric current must travel from the battery room to the furthest point on the stage is 122 meters, and the total length of the wires for the electric light service is about 1200 meters." (Nuitter p230) Electric sockets were placed on each level of the theater as well as under the stage and all it's levels for the use of devises such as theatre effects to connect to the electricity generators. The workers who maintained the batteries were breathing in and around a toxic acidic atmosphere to try and combat this, large sources emitted ammonia vapors. The batteries were used to run electric light theater effects as well light up the front of the Opera. The chandelier was fitted with 340 gas spouts on five crowns. Electricity was deemed too dangerous at the time so the Opera was fitted with gas lamps. They even had portable batteries used for sparkling headdresses for actors. They even had an electric bell serves.
For more info on the bells click here
For more info on the bells click here
L’Avenue de l’Opéra goes electric 1878
On May 31, 1878 at 9pm l’avenue de l’Opéra was lit up instantly by Jablochkoff's candles, thirty-two glass globe electric arc lights were placed in between the street lamps, for the occasion of Exposition Universelle (the third Paris World's Fair). The Paris Opera's façade had already been illuminated with electric light for several months before the lighting of l’avenue de l’Opéra.
Welsbach mantle or Welsbach burner an incandescent gas mantle. With the addition of an electric spark igniter auditoriums of theaters for the first time during a performance were able to be completely darkened. Prior to this theaters would have their footlights always aglow was well as the chandeliers.
Electricity arrived in 1881. Thomas Edison exhibited his incandescent lamp at the first 1st Exposition internationale d'Électricité/International Exposition of Electricity, which ran from August 15, 1881 through to November 15, 1881 at the Palais de l'Industrie in Paris. Prior to that there was a small electrical display at the 1878 L'Exposition Universelle/Exposition Universelle. In 1879 the Paris Opera's foyer had four Jablochkoff candles installed. But apparently they were quite noisy.
Welsbach mantle or Welsbach burner an incandescent gas mantle. With the addition of an electric spark igniter auditoriums of theaters for the first time during a performance were able to be completely darkened. Prior to this theaters would have their footlights always aglow was well as the chandeliers.
Electricity arrived in 1881. Thomas Edison exhibited his incandescent lamp at the first 1st Exposition internationale d'Électricité/International Exposition of Electricity, which ran from August 15, 1881 through to November 15, 1881 at the Palais de l'Industrie in Paris. Prior to that there was a small electrical display at the 1878 L'Exposition Universelle/Exposition Universelle. In 1879 the Paris Opera's foyer had four Jablochkoff candles installed. But apparently they were quite noisy.
The Paris Opera goes electric 1881
In 1881 the Chandelier was electrified with 320 light blabs as well as the foyer. The rest of the opera was to fallow. The Werderman lamps in the Palais Garnier were carbon arc lamps consisting of a pair of carbon rods. "Through these rods a massive voltage was applied. The high voltage caused sparks to arc across the two rods. It also caused the carbon to vaporize, this caused a continuous glow. Werderman lamps used weights to maintain a constant gap in the carbon arc." (sciencephoto) By 1883, the whole building went electric with Thomas Edison's incandescent lamp. The electricity production plant, using steam engines, was located in the basement of the building. On April 19, 1881, the Director at the time M. Vaucorbeil, invited a few privileged people to listen to the performance of the Huguenots in the second below, connected to the stage by telephone cables. In 1887 the stage was fitted with electric light the gas pipes remained, but most everything switched over the electric. The early electric light basically just mimicked the old gas system.
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ref http://histoires-de-sciences.over-blog.fr/article-31138807.html , https://www.asso-luminaris.org/2017/09/30/archi_menu/ressources/nos-documents/leclairage-electrique-avant-lampoule, https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/363795/view, City of Light: The Story of Fiber Optics By Jeff Hecht, 2004 , La machinerie théatrale. Trucs et décors, by Georges Moynet, 1893; L'envers du théâtre; machines et décorations by J Moynet 1880, Le nouvel Opéra : monument, artistes by X. Y. Z. [T. Faucon] 1875, Le nouvel Opéra by Char;es Nuitter, 1875; The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Ed. Stanley Sadie. New York: Macmillian, 1992, https://archive.org/details/newgrovedictiona0004unse_h5m6/mode/2up