Jubilee Animated Pictures.—Mr. Alfred Wrench obtained an excellent series of pictures of the Jubilee procession last month from a fine position at the corner of King William Street, E.C. The cinematograph used was that patented by him and extensively used through-out Great Britain. The directors of the Alhambra Theatre, ever anxious to have everything of the best, have secured the exclusive right for two months of exhibiting these pictures within a prescribed radius. The film on which the pictures are printed is about one thousand feet long, and includes the seventeen carriages forming the Queen’s procession. Mr. Wrench has also obtained cinematograph pictures of the Naval Review at Spithead.
The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger, vol.8, nº 99, août 1897, p. 126.
THE Arts and Sciences have always had a certain amount of fascination for me. Invention having pride of place in my estimation. [...] The latest production of a remarkable century is the cinematograph, and, happening to make a friendly call upon an eminent firm of opticians (Messrs. J. Wrench and Sons) the other afternoon, Mr. Wrench, knowing the interest which I took in such things, offered to show me the improved cinematograph which they had invented. I didn't refuse, you may be sure. Early in the year Mr. Acres (one of the half-dozen who claim the honour of inventing this instrument) came down to Wood Green in order to take some photographs of cycle racing for his exhibitions, and, knowing nothing about cycling, got me to help him in the selection os subjects, position, and the other essentials of a perfect picture, and he explained to me the methods used in the production and projection of the pictures. He got some excellent pictures of close finishes, and one of Platt-Betts in his attempt on the mile record. I heard that they came out all right; but I never had an opportunity of accepting Mr. Acres' invitations to visit him, so that I had never seen a projector until I saw that of Messrs. Wrench last week.
I WAS at once struck with the simplicity of the affair. It is merely small piece of mechanism which fastens on to the front of an ordinary magic lantern: I had expected something large and complicated for the accomplishment of the marvellous results one sees at the Empire and elsewhere. The pictures are on a film from 50 to 75 ft. in length, and are about an inch in size, so that each film contains 600 to 900 pictures which pass through the lantern at the rate of 15 to 30 a second. By an intermittent motion the picture moves, is locked into position, and the light shone through it, the light is shut off and the next picture comes into position when the light is again flashed on; and what seems so wonderful is that thirty of these sets of motions can be done in a second! If the light were continuous the pictures would, of course, be a blur, because besides the motion of the figures in the picture, the movement of the whole picture would be visible. And yet in the instrument I saw the whole of these marvellous effects are accomplished in an exceedingly simple manner, and a child could work it. It gave the best results I have yet seen in this class of display, the pictures projected on to the screen being much brighter and sharper than those I have seen publicly exhibited. I understand too, that it is but a third of the price charged by the exploiters of the earlier and more cumbersome machines. At present it is only possible to buy the projector which costs thirty-six pounds; the apparatus for taking the photographs themselves, and a strange affair which prints the films being unpurchaseable at any price; next year, however, a machine will be marketed, which will do the whole of three operations. To see this thing in operation was. one of the most interesting experiences I have had for a long time, and it is quite possible that arrangements will be made to give readers of "CYCLING" a chance of seeing it during Show time.
Cycling, nº 303, Vol. XII, 7 novembre 1896, p. 28.