Will the cinematograph ever enter home life? Will the world and his wife ever become wedded to a camera with which they can secure life in motion by some simple and easy method, just as now they can obtain still-life pictures by the aid of the hand-camera? Will the cinematograph become as popular as the ubiquitous Kodak?

There is no doubt that the widespread favour extended to cinematography has brought about a popular desire to follow the art in an amateur manner, as is possible in ordinary photography. Hitherto certain obstacles have stood in the way of the amateur enthusiast; but these difficulties have been broken down in an ingenious manner. The desire to practise the new cult has been increased by the number of firms engaged in the making of topical pictures and by the increasing demand for such subjects. Occasionally pictures command a high value, fluctuating in proportion to public interest. For instance, the dramatic manner of Blériot’s flight across the Channel caught the professional cinematographers by surprise. Elaborate arrangements had been made to secure pictorial records of this journey, but only one man, a wide-awake amateur, obtained a film of the embarkation. Although his film was deficient in technique and photographic quality, it commanded a high price; and the enterprising photographer never had occasion to regret his enterprise, for his initial expense was recouped several times over.

The cost of the camera and the expense of the film are the chief drawbacks to the popularisation of cinematography; the bulkiness of the apparatus has also militated against its adoption by the amateur. Recently, however, these admitted drawbacks have been overcome, and by methods which claim the distinct merit of ingenuity and resource.

About 1886 a novel device known as the “Kineograph” appeared. It was an anticipation of the “Mutoscope,” which made such a bold bid for public appreciation in the early ’nineties and, like the Kineograph itself, failed to make its mark. A number of instantaneous photographs were printed and mounted upon separate leaves. The pictures were placed in consecutive order and bound at one side to form a kind of book. When the leaves were turned over rapidly, giving fleeting though distinct glimpses of the successive pictures, the idea was conveyed that motion was being represented.

Recently this idea has been revived in the “Kinora” motion photography system. This likewise made its first appearance some years ago, but failed of success, although it was distinctly ingenious. It offered to the home in pictures just what the phonograph provides in regard to sound—the capture of a particular incident to be reproduced at leisure. In a highly improved form the same device has recently reappeared, and its reception augurs well for its future.

The amateur is provided with facilities for taking his own photographs, a special camera having been evolved for the purpose of simple design and operation. In general appearance it resembles the ordinary hand-camera, measuring 9⅛ inches in length by 6⅝ inches wide by 7⅝ inches deep. When loaded it does not weigh more than 7¼ pounds. Externally it possesses few fittings. There is the lens, which can be focussed by moving the lens tube to and fro in an outer sleeve, as in a telescope; the view-finder, placed on the top, and the actuating handle at the right-hand side. At the rear is the dial, whereby is indicated the length of film exposed, a focussing tube and the device whereby focussing is carried out.

The mechanism of the camera is very simple. The sensitised ribbon is placed in a circular spool box and then is threaded through the film-gate and the intermittent gear, to be taken finally in a second circular spool-box. The intermittent gear differs entirely from that in the ordinary camera, which works upon a claw or finger system with the film running over sprockets. In the Kinora camera below the gate there are two eccentric rollers, mounted side by side, acting in the same way as the rollers of the domestic mangle. These rollers are split at one point through their entire length, and when these two edges, rotating synchronously but in opposite directions, come together and in contact with the film, which is fed between them, they grip and pull it down the depth of one picture. It may be pointed out that a similar movement was adopted in the very earliest cinematograph cameras built by Greene and other experimenters, in order to secure the requisite intermittent motion. Their imperfection was the uncertain motion of the rollers; but in the Kinora camera this defect has been completely overcome.

The apparatus can be used either with a paper negative or the celluloid film. The former is very satisfactory and inexpensive, and it may be stated that this is the first occasion in which the paper negative has been applied successfully to motion-photography. The camera is adapted to carry forty feet of ribbon, which is sufficient for 640 consecutive pictures, the latter being precisely of the same dimensions as those obtained upon the ordinary celluloid cinematograph film—one inch in width by three-quarters of an inch deep. Paper is suited to ordinary work, although the grain destroys sharpness to a slight extent; however, as such sensitised ribbon costs only 1s. 6d. (36 cents) per length of forty feet, the drawback is slight. If desired, celluloid film can be used, in which case the ribbon is one inch in width—three-eighths of an inch narrower than the standard cinematographic film, although there is no variation in the size of the image, since the necessity of perforating the edges has been obviated. Celluloid film printed in this manner cannot be used for the purposes of projection upon a screen. Moreover, the celluloid film is expensive; the paper sensitised ribbon is more suitable for home-work.

The paper negative is developed in the ordinary manner, but as the operation is somewhat delicate, the exposed ribbon should be sent to the manufacturers, who also prepare the positive for a modest outlay. In any case, the positive must be prepared by the manufacturers, as it is a somewhat intricate process, demanding resort to special machinery; the pictures have to be printed one by one, on successive leaves in rotation, and attached by one end to a bobbin so as to present a circular reel for use in the Kinora projecting apparatus, as shown in the illustration. The pictures are printed upon bromide paper in such a way that the image stands upon a black background. The latter is obtained by exposing the sensitised paper surrounding the negative image to the light at the same time that the negative is printed; and as it becomes thoroughly exposed, development brings it out perfectly black. It looks as though the positive were printed upon paper and afterwards cut out and mounted upon a black background.

The positive has next to be submitted to a treatment whereby the back of the paper is coated with a dead black. The strip of paper carrying the images is then cut to the requisite size by means of special machinery, so that each picture forms a leaf about 3½ inches long by 1 inch deep. The blank end of each leaf is attached to a central core or reel, some 640 leaves being mounted edge-wise in this manner, and the positive is then ready for projection.

The apparatus by means of which the motion is reproduced varies slightly in the different types. In its simplest form it recalls the stereoscope in design, only instead of two lenses it has one large rectangular magnifying-glass. The reel is mounted upon the opposite end of the instrument in a horizontal manner so that the pictures stand vertically and parallel to the lens. There is a small handle at one side whereby the reel of pictures is rotated through simple gearing, while a metal finger rests lightly upon the extreme outer edge of the leaves in such a way as to permit only one picture to turn over at a time. When this handle is turned and one is looking through the magnifying-glass, the leaves fly over in rapid sequence, producing a vivid illusion of animation. In the second type of machine the reel is mounted in a cabinet, which is fitted with two or more lenses, so that two or more people can follow the movement of the pictures simultaneously. The actuating mechanism is driven by clockwork, as in a gramophone.

Endless pleasure can be obtained with this instrument in the home. Pretty little incidents of domestic life, such as children playing, animals gambolling, and so forth, can be photographed and reproduced upon the reel! If one is more ambitious one can cinematograph great events, such as a horse race, a boxing contest, an express train at full speed—in short, anything in motion. It is only necessary to set the camera upon some rigid foundation, if a tripod is not carried, to secure steadiness during exposure.

There is one great benefit accruing from the use of this apparatus. Unless wanton carelessness is displayed, one need not worry about under- or over-exposure. The paper negatives are coated with an exceedingly rapid emulsion of considerable orthochromatic quality, so that true colour-values are ensured.

A very noticeable feature is the ingenious focussing device. Instead of opening the camera and removing the film from the gate, as in the ordinary cinematograph camera, one has merely to slide a stop projecting from the back of the camera to the length of its slot. By so doing the whole of the internal mechanism is moved bodily to one side to bring a small square of ground glass attached to the gate into position before the lens-tube, when focussing can be carried out very easily and readily.

As already pointed out, if celluloid films are employed with this camera, they cannot be used for projection purposes, because positives cannot be printed from them upon the standard perforated positive film. Consequently, the amateur who wishes to take motion pictures for projection on the screen will find the Kinora system valueless. It was designed especially for the production of positive bromide prints mounted upon a reel to be used with the special viewing machine.

The true future for this ingenious development of the art undoubtedly lies in the possibility of purchasing at a reasonable price reels of “star” events and subjects of general interest or picture plays, in the same way that one can purchase talking-machine records. In this way motion-photography can indeed be brought to the fireside.

How can the art of cinematography be brought within the reach of the amateur? This is the absorbing question of the moment. Moving pictures having become so popular, the traveller wishes to secure animated records of the scenes which he has witnessed in foreign climes, to reveal them to his friends, exactly as he saw them, within the home circle. Unfortunately, such an achievement is impossible under existing conditions. The apparatus, both recording and projecting, is expensive; the film is costly; while the problem incidental to the illuminant is not easily solved in the average home.

Obviously, in view of the fact that the film is so expensive, some other system of recording and projecting animation must be employed. At the same time, any invention of this character aspiring for commercial success must be simple, inexpensive, immune from danger, and compact. At first sight it seems an almost impossible quest to secure all these essentials in a single stroke. But it has been accomplished, and what is more, with absolute perfection. To-day the amateur can take moving pictures and project them upon a screen at will, for the edification of his friends, more easily and cheaply than he can “Kodak” and project snap-shots by lantern-slides. Moreover, the results thus obtained and shown are far superior to those obtainable with the methods and apparatus now in vogue.

This revolutionary achievement has been attained through the efforts of an indefatigable Italian worker, M. Gianni Bettini. This persevering inventor recognised that a totally different system would have to be evolved to meet the requirements of the millions. The celluloid film was quite impracticable, so he reverted to the early days when investigators strove, and in vain, to utilise glass for their purposes.

The early experimenters, as I have described already, followed the principle of one plate one picture. The operation of changing the standard-size plate in its holder, no matter how deftly accomplished, occupied an appreciable interval of time, which disturbed the rhythmic character of the action photographed. Monsieur Bettini recognised this insurmountable drawback, so set to work to devise a means of taking several successive images upon a single plate, and his success in this direction constitutes one of the vital features of his invention.

The pictures are taken in a series of rows—sixteen to a row—and at the rate of sixteen per second. But there is a radical departure from prevalent practice. With the ordinary cinematograph apparatus the lens is fixed and the film is moved intermittently. In the Bettini system the sensitised surface is held rigidly, and it is the lens which moves. Now, this raises an important and novel point. As the lens is moved continually to and fro a matter of 4¾ inches—no two successive pictures in a row, in fact, are taken at the same focus—one would naturally expect that the pictures would vary in sharpness. But such is not the case: the picture at the left-hand extremity of the row is as sharp as that at the opposite end.

The whole principle of the Bettini cinema-à-plaque, as it is called, is entirely new. The camera itself, a small contrivance, wrought in aluminium, measuring some 8 inches in length by 4 inches wide and 3½ inches high, is no larger or heavier than a Kodak snap-shot camera. This box contains the actuating mechanism, which comprises a longitudinal shaft, carrying a peculiar thread, on which is mounted, and along which moves, the objective, motion being imparted thereto by the revolution of the handle in the ordinary way. The sensitised plate, instead of being slipped in position at the rear of the box and facing the lens, is inserted at one side and at right-angles to the front aperture. The objective is a combined lens and a prism mounted upon the travelling part. The light, passing through the front aperture, enters the prism and thus is bent at right-angles through the objective on to the plate.

The plate itself measures 130 by 215 millimetres (5¼ by 8½ inches), and is mounted in a toothed rod on one side. This rack is vertical and is moved downwards, 6 millimetres (¼ inch) at a time, by the mechanism on which the objective is mounted, when the latter has completed its length of travel. The plate is held in its holder upon the left-hand side, but the top and bottom edges of the respective first and last rows of pictures are flush with the edge of the plate. The latter is slipped into the camera and travels downwards intermittently. Instead of a slide being used there are light-tight bags, both top and bottom, forming the magazines. Directly the plate has passed through the camera it falls into the lower bag, while simultaneously a second plate follows in its train through the camera from the upper bag.

As mentioned previously, the depth of a row of pictures is one-quarter of an inch, while the width of each image is three-tenths of an inch. In commencing operations, we will suppose that the objective is at the left-hand side of the plate, and the first row of pictures is to be taken. The handle is revolved, and the lens moves across the sensitised surface intermittently, until it reaches the right-hand edge. The first row of pictures is completed. At this moment, while the shutter is closed, the plate descends the depth of a picture—one-quarter of an inch—thereby bringing another strip of unexposed surface before the objective. The lens now travels in the reverse direction, i.e., to the left-hand side of the plate, in a similar manner. When it gains the limit of its travel, the plate again drops the depth of a line of images, and the lens moves once more from left to right, this see-sawing across the plate in parallel rows continuing until the bottom edge of the plate is reached. As the toothed rack of the exposed plate falls away the toothed holder of the succeeding plate is taken up by the mechanism and the cycle of operations continued until the incident is recorded. There is no break whatever between two successive plates, as the feed is positive and accurate, while similarly there is no interruption in the animation when the travelling lens reaches the end of a line, because the movement of the plate takes place during the fraction of a second when the lens is covered by the opaque sector of the shutter.

As each plate carries 36 rows of pictures, each line containing 16 images, it will be seen that no less than 576 images, each measuring three-tenths of an inch in width by one-quarter of an inch in depth, can be recorded upon a single plate. Although so small the pictures are remarkably sharp, clear, distinct, and full of detail; indeed, they rival the images upon the celluloid film in this respect.

Having obtained the negative, the positive is obtained by contact printing upon another glass surface as with a lantern slide. Now, for projection the operator uses the camera with which the pictures were taken, in conjunction with an ordinary projecting, or magic, lantern, and the movement of the apparatus is precisely the same as in taking the photos. The positive plate in its toothed rack is slipped into the camera and the handle revolved, thereby causing the lens to travel across the plate intermittently. When it reaches the end of a row of pictures, the plate is forced downwards, one-quarter of an inch at a time, while another rack and positive plate are inserted when one plate is exhausted.

The principle of projection is decidedly novel and may be understood from the accompanying diagram, Fig. 22. The objective with its prism is mounted on one side of the plate, while on the other side of the latter is a second prism on the longitudinal axis of the lantern condenser. The light from the lantern B strikes the prism C and there is bent at right-angles towards the image on the plate A. Passing through the plate, it enters the lens D, to which the prism E is attached, and once more the ray is deflected at right-angles to be thrown upon the screen F. An ordinary magic lantern suffices for the purpose, and the incandescent mantle and gas may be used as an illuminant—petrol gas and acetylene are equally suitable—if electricity or the oxy-hydrogen light is not available. The picture on the screen may be of any desired dimensions, inasmuch as the small images, owing to their sharpness, clearness, and striking wealth of detail, enable enlargement to be carried to any degree, so long as the illuminant is sufficiently powerful.

There is one point which must be explained. When the lens in the camera is at the left-hand edge of the plate, owing to the greater distance of the objective from the object photographed, everything will be of smaller proportions than when the lens is at the right-hand edge, as then it is brought 4¾ inches nearer the subject. In other words, as the lens moves across the plate from left to right, the dimensions increase; on the other hand, they diminish as the lens moves back again. This might be considered to be an insurmountable obstacle, but it is not, because when the positive is projected a different effect is produced. The picture at the left-hand edge of the plate, which in the camera was the smallest, owing to its greater distance from the object, now becomes enlarged to a greater degree than that at the opposite end of the row, since the former is 4¾ inches farther from the screen. By this arrangement a correction takes place, the objects in all the images in a row being brought to a uniform size.

Seeing that continuity of motion is governed purely by the feeding of the plates, it will be seen that the whole of the longest incidents may be photographed. A magazine can take twelve plates, or more, according to desire. In the former instance a total of 6,912 pictures may be obtained. Seeing that each row of pictures upon a plate is equivalent to a foot of celluloid film, a single plate will carry the same number of pictures as thirty-six feet of the latter. On this basis a dozen plates will be equivalent to 432 feet, or more than two spools of celluloid film, seeing that a spool as fed into the camera generally represents a length of 200 feet.

The most influential factor, however, is that of running costs, if the expense in regard to sensitised surface may be so termed. A strip of film thirty-six feet in length, the equivalent of a Bettini plate, at 2½d., or 5 cents, per foot, would represent 7s. 6d., or approximately $2. The glass plate costs two pence or four cents (both negative and positive), so that with the Bettini glass plate system an incident recorded in 6,912 pictures, and occupying about seven minutes to take and project, would cost only 4s. ($1) for both negative and positive plates, as compared with £4 10s., or $22.50, for positive and negative film, to carry the same pictorial record.

The possibilities of the Bettini cinema-à-plaque system, therefore, are obvious. The invention brings the art of cinematography within reach of the amateur; introduces moving pictures to the drawing-room as completely and cheaply as the phonograph conveys sound to the fireside; provides the photographer with a far more fascinating hobby; while its professional applications are illimitable.