Ad in Pop Photography Dec 1946 for a King Sol Flash unit
Toronto. In the early years of photography, it took daylight to create an image. The processes of the day were far too insensitive for gas light, and later electric light to be of practical use. In the mid to late 1800s, flash powder and ribbon were invented, allowing photographs to be taken indoors and at night. However, they did add other issues: Scenes were even more contrasty. Close-by highlights were often washed out while harsh shadows hid details just a few feet further back. And, in the hands of the unwary, eyebrows and other minor appendages could disappear in a … flash.
Those of us of a certain age can remember being photographed by flash and the blinding burst of light it released. When c0lour film was introduced, the term ‘red-eye’ was added to our lexicon. The bright flash was often used indoors or at night to capture the family, only to be reflected back by each human retina as a bright red disk.
This ad from the December, 1946 issue of Popular Photography [link repeated here for the reader’s convenience] touts one of the many ‘professional’ electronic flash guns sold last century. The massive box being shouldered by the model houses the lead-acid battery, the big electrolytic condensers, the charger, and the electronics to trigger the flash when the camera shutter is pressed.
The ad touts the thousands of flash bulbs saved for a good reason – a single flash by a small #5 or #25 flash bulb would be brighter than this massive and expensive brute. A decade later, when I had an Ultrablitz, even with auxiliary capacitors the flash was not quite as powerful as a single #5 flash bulb.
For a good historical perspective on flash powder, and flash as the term is used in photography, visit the two wikipedia links shown here. Once electronic flash could be reduced in size and cost, it took over the market held by flash bulbs. Until cheap Thyristors came along, excess power was flashed inside the electronic gun by firing a second flash tube hidden from view.
Eventually flash became a common addition to a camera and today, almost every smart phone camera includes a tiny electronic flash.
Note: The post title is a riff on Tom Dolby’s beautiful song which inspired me to write this earlier post, “blinding me with science“. This idea (and advertisement) comes from my very good friend and fellow PHSC member, George Dunbar.
