The light generated by the filament
lamp
was even stronger than that of gaslight, and its introduction into the theatre had a major influence on both scenery and makeup, since every tiniest detail of scenery or makeup was now glaringly visible.
In many theatres the existing gaslighting apparatus was refurbished. Old borderlights, winglights and footlights were fitted with electric lamps instead of the obsolete gas burners, but the rotating color cylinders which had been used in the gaslight period were retained . Many theatres maintained the original configuration of the gaslight systems well into the 20th century.
Gas border lights
Borderlights transformed from gas to electrcity
The transition from gaslight to electric light was significant not only because of the intensity and the quality of the light of the incandescent bulb, but also due to the inherent potential of
electricity
for more precise control of light intensities. On December 29, 1881, the 'Times' wrote: "The ordinary electric apparatus has the great drawback for
stage
representation that the flame can not be lowered or increased at will, there being no medium between full light and total darkness". But the writer goes on to state that this difficulty has been successfully overcome by "interposing into the circuit through which the
lamp
receives the current what in technical language is called a 'resistance'…" - a fair description of the first electrical dimmers in the theatre . This method of dimming by resistance was used for years, side by side with other methods, all of which were eventually replaced by the electronic dimmer.
Variable resistance dimmer, 1887.
A
rheostat
dimmer bank made by Ward Loenard, 1984.
