Can you number yourself among us very senior citizens who knew life before color TV? Are you old enough to know when cameras only took black-and-white photos?
I have so long enjoyed the color photos in the pages of the National Geographic Magazine, that it was quite a change to begin my reading of issues from the 1920's, when all but a few photos were in black-and-white. Fortunately, I knew what was coming, that there would be more and better color photos in future years.
In this National Geographic Magazine article, "The Color Camera's First Aerial Success", September, 1930, Melville Bell Grosvenor (a future editor of the journal), presents the difficulties of taking natural color photographs from an airplane:
1) "natural-color plates require from fifty to sixty times the length of exposure to light necessary for black-and-white pictures" (p. 344). The planes move too fast for this.
2) brilliant light was necessary, therefore, a calm and hazeless atmosphere was needed.
Mr. Grosvenor and the National Geographic Society worked with the U.S. Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics; experimental photos were taken in the Goodyear-Zeppelin dirigible (blimp) Mayflower. "The first successful natural-color photograph was made of the National Capitol (in Washington, D.C.) . . . When the photographer was in position for the proper composition, the pilot in charge of the Mayflower was given a signal, the motors were momentarily cut off to eliminate vibration, and the big bag floated quietly while the brief exposure was made" (p. 353).
The author continues, "Not until he travels with possibilities of the natural-color camera in mind does the airman fully appreciate the brilliance and the variety of the kaleidoscope that is constantly passing beneath him" (p. 353).
Oh, praise you, Lord, for instilling in us humans a certain curiosity! We, truly, in our inventions and explorations of our inner world and the outer worlds, stand on the shoulders of uncounted giants who had to try, had to find out, what might be done. Bravo, Mr. Grosveor!
(To read more about Blimps, please see this blog, September 27, 2013, "Around the World in 21 days in a Blimp.")
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