watching and capturing the 1912 total solar eclipse in Lisbon
Toronto. Today, we are rather blasé about solar eclipses. but how were they handled over a century ago? A dark shield was still needed to protect eyes, but the cameras as shown here were far different. This scene of a pending total eclipse of the sun was taken back in 1912 in Lisbon.
You can see bright shadows so the eclipse has not yet happened. The most interesting fellow is the one with the huge field camera extended for a long focus lens, and firmly steadied with a tripod, a little ‘table’ on top of the tripod and two weights as anchors on the floor to keep the legs from slipping.
The two folk at left appear to be using a dark filter glass while one of the two at right makes notes and the other peers into some kind of device. The photo is here on Facebook (make sure you are member, or join up for free) and was copied from this site. English translation of the Portuguese is offered.
A thank you is in order for my good friend George Dunbar for finding this interesting site/photo and sharing it with us. NB. There are a few Facebook ‘channels’ devoted to the history of photography including our own.
