Those of us used to a small powerful electronic flash may find it difficult to realize what it meant to take flash pictures a century ago. Then, flash photography was not only unpredictable in terms of output, but also could be quite dangerous.
Some idea about this can be gauged from the description of "A simple Flash apparatus" which appeared in "Amateur Photographer" on January 2nd, 1902 by someone calling himself "J.M.S":
"Twelve inches of half-inch diamater soft rubber tubing, two wire staples, a brass-headed nail, and the top of a tin canister, together with a piece of wood about six inches square, comprise all that is necessary for making this effective piece of apparatus.
By means of the staples fix the tube to the baseboard so that there is room for the canister lid between one edge of the board and the end of the tube. One staple should be one and a half inches from this end of the tube, the other near the edge of the board.
Drive the nail close to the first staple and close beside the tube so that the head is about half an inch above th top of the tube.
To use the apparatus, pour a little spirits of wine into the canister lid and place it in front of the end of the tube as shown (fig.1) Turn this end of the tube upwards so as to make a kink in the tube and so form a little cup, lodge the edge of this cap under the head of the nail and fill it with magnesium powder or aluminium dust.
Having lighted the spirit, all that remains is to blow smartly into the open end of the tube (B) when the other end will straighten out and trhe powder be projected through the spirit flame, producing the flash (fig.2)
To actuate the apparatus at a distance a longer piece of rubber tubing may be connected to it. For producing larger flashes for photographing groups, etc., a battery of tubes may be mounted on the same baseboard, these tubes being connected by suitable means to one main air tube through which air may be forced by means of a pair of bellows."
© Robert Leggat, 2000