THE KINETOGRAPH IN WAR.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVIII, Issue XXIV, 12 June 1897, Page 765

THE KINETOGRAPH IN WAR.

Under the above heading a writer in a photographic monthly asks the question why the kinetoscope should be ‘ confined to the reproduction of ordinary scenes for amusement merely,’ and * that kinetograms of genuine scientific interest and value will also be taken, specially of events which are of rare occurrence. ’ He is pleased to find that the ‘ recent artificial railway collision in Texas was kinetographed,’ and hopes that *in future cases of any extraordinary phenomenon which can by any means be anticipated, such as the explosion of a mine, the eruption of a volcano, and, above all, the encounter of two armies in battle, some competent kinetographer will be in attendance.’ He instances the fact that ‘not a single instantaneous photogram of an actual battle-scene in the late Chino-Japanese war was published in any of the illustrated papers.’ Where is the photographer who would carry his paraphernalia to the proximity of a mine explosion, or lay his life at the mercy of a volcano as it belches forth its sulphurous fires, or, more deadly still, the myriads of death messengers that fly on the field of battle? • Anybody,’ the writer says, ‘ can imagine what a battle is like, as well as an artist.’ ‘ What we want is to know exactly what it really is.’ The writer further suggests that' ‘ kinetographers take more pains to have their kinetographs far enough away from the scene of the action to avoid the effect being marred by figures bobbing up half a dozen times while crossing the field of view close to the instrument. The operator should stand at least a few yards from the nearest moving object.’ Good advice ; but one would think that the operator should be better a mile away, so that his operations might not be marred by any strange bullets, or be encompassed by a shower of shot and shell, as he might then feel the moving objects marring his pictures, and spoiling his view, optically or otherwise. The suggestion of the writer might have been easily realised in the days of Bruce and Wallace when the sword, battleaxe, and spear were the principal weapons of offence and defence, but when modern invention has made hand-to hand conflict almost impossible, it is scarcely likely that the snap-shottists will be found on the field of war armed with a kinetoscope.