Stage Lighting Museum - History - 19th century - Gaslight era - 0 views
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The first great revolution in stage lighting began in England with the introduction of gas lighting. In 1804, F. A. Winsor, an entrepreneur, took out a patent on a lighting apparatus based on gas. An English engineer, William Murdock, towards the end of the 18th century, had developed this practical method, which used coal gas for illumination. Interestingly enough,
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the first public demonstration, which Winsor gave of his new gaslight, was held in July 1804 at a theatre - the London Lyceum. At first, gaslight was used only for illumination of the facade and entrances of the theatre.
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Not only was gaslight very bright, it could also be controlled from a distance, using a system of valves which controlled the flow of gas into the various pipes - a primitive but effective dimming system.