Equal to Sunlight - Nikola Tesla’s New Photography

Tesla with His Perfected Vacuum Takes Photographs as Well by Night as by Day

No More “Flash” Pictures

Powerful Rays Reveal Every Line in the Subject Photographed with Startling Distinctness.

TO ILLUMINE LIGHTHOUSES.

Nikola Tesla, the well known electrician, announces an important discovery to-day in the Electrical Review. He says that he has perfected vacuum tubes of such high illuminating power that they may be used in lighthouses, and that they will enable the photographer to work by night as well as by day. He even suggests that by means of this light the painter may be able to distinguish colors as well at night as he can by the clear, soft light of day.

The result which Mr. Tesla has attained represents several years of patient experimenting. His work was somewhat retarded by the burning of his laboratory in 1895. He is not ready yet to describe his invention in detail. He promises to do soon. He always speaks in a conservative way of his discoveries. I called yesterday at his laboratory. His bearing was one of great elation.

“It is of more importance,” he said, “to discover new principles, to find out scientific facts, than to invent mere appliances.”

Light as of Noonday

The results which Mr. Tesla has attained have been achieved by the use of his vacuum tubes and his oscillator. The light which he is able to produce by this means is as bright as that of the noonday sun. By its use every line of the object photographed may be made to stand out clearly and distinctly.

Mr. Tesla has taken several photographs by this light, which are reproduced in the Electrical Review. I saw the original photographs yesterday at the office of the publication. Half tone engraving cannot begin to do justice to the extreme clearness and delicacy of these photographs. It is possible to give only a suggestion of the clearness of the original in a picture such as is used for the purpose of newspaper illustration. The accompanying portrait is from one of the half tones. The original photograph was made under the light of a single vacuum tube at a distance of five feet, with an exposure of five seconds.

A Startling Effect

Every wrinkle in the face of the man is clearly shown. The hairs of the beard and the eyelashes are distinct. The effect is almost startling. The face seems to stand out from the paper. This photograph was taken, too, without the discomfort to the subject which attends the use of the flashlight.

The most remarkable photograph is that of the hand of Tesla. It was made by the light of a single improved vacuum tube of one thousand candle power, at a distance of four feet, after an exposure of two seconds. The lines of the hand stand forth so clearly that the palmist may read them with the greatest care. Every detail is reproduced with microscopic accuracy. The veins of the wrists and the fine lines upon the cuticle are faithfully shown. The texture of the inventor’s coat is shown in several inches of the sleeve and the linen threads of the cuff are almost distinct. The shadows about the wrists and fingers give the impression that you are looking at a hand of flesh and blood.

Another photograph is that of an open book upon electricity, supported by two hands. This was done by a vacuum tube, at a distance of four feet, with an exposure of two seconds.