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Les Chutes de la Clyde

Vue panoramique des nombreuses chutes de la Clyde, torrents, cascades ; l'eau tourmentée coule tantôt largement, tantôt resserrée brusquement par les rochers ; par moments elle passe entre deux lits de verdure. Cette vue est très mouvementée et à effets très changeants.

GAU 1904-03

GAU 1904-06

The Falls of Clyde

There is something peculiarly fascinating about a waterfall. Few people but are attracted by it while the many will gaze as though spellbound even on the comparative tricklings of a mere cascade. This feeling of fascination is very strong when looking upon the tumbling, tossing waters of the lovely Falls of Clyde. Here is no cascade, but a mighty waterfall of such volume, weight, and irresistible force set in a scene of idyllic beauty as may well hold the onlooker entranced and spellbound.
What better subject for a cinematograph picture than Nature combining at once her beauty and her strength in this, the greatest fall of water in the British Isles!
THE FALLS OF CLYDE
cannot well be compared with Niagara Falls it is true, but certainly no picture of Niagara has yet been taken which can approach this in grandeur, for the simple reason that a picture of Niagara merely shows a huge volume of water falling, unrelieved by any other natural scenery, making it thus uninteresting.
This picture opens with a view of a very beautiful clump of trees close to the foot of the falls, from which point it swings round gradually to the left side of the falls, showing a big body of water falling between some huge black rocks, beating itself into a white foam at the bottom. From this point the picture again turns, bringing in some marvelous foliage bordering the falls, the sunlight playing on the leaves and producing a perfect kaleidoscope of light effects. We then seem to be transplanted to the very foot of the falls themselves, and see the whole immense mass of water falling at our feet, the spray and foam scintillating in the sunshine, and producing a soul-inspiring effect; the entire volume, consisting of millions of tons every minute, beating in a perfect fury on the much-worm rocks. The picture again changes to another part of the falls, where long streams of water interspersed with rocks are falling and rebounding, making it appear as if there were a number of fountains throwing their water into the air, producing a vaporous mist, like steam, as if they were huge hot-water springs. (At this point a man comes on to the scene, bringing into relief the immensity of the falls, the man appearing a mere pigmy in proportion.) After a few moments of this scenery the picture ends with a view of a solid wall of rock at the side of the falls. This is the finest picture of a waterfall which has ever been taken, being full of beauty, interest, and movement from start to finish. The picture was taken under great difficulty, as such pictures usually are, and with considerable danger to the operator, owing to the risky positions in which he was placed, and the extra large volume of water falling at the time, being taken during one of the few bright intervals after a heavy fall of rain.

This picture is infinitely superior in photographic quality, and vastly more interesting than the several same pictures of Norwegian and other waterfalls which we have seen put out from time to time.

GAU 1904-GB