File:Wilsons last stand show.jpg

Wilsons_last_stand_show.jpg(741 × 391 pixels, file size: 134 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

This file is from Wikimedia Commons and may be used by other projects. The description on its file description page there is shown below.

Summary

Description
English: From the article entitled "Flashlighting": ....I soon found what I wanted at the Earl's Court Exhibition of that year, which was "Savage South Africa." The chief attraction was a most realistic performance in the vast arena, called "Major Wilson's Last Stand." This depicted the massacre of the gallant band of Britishers by the Matabele, and although several flashlight photographs had been attempted they had all been failures. The reason I imagine, was that no photographer had been able to make use of a flash sufficiently quick and powerful to cover such a large area. I decided that it would be necessary, in order to secure sufficient illuminating power, to use seven separate flashes, all of which would have to befired simultaneously. The first thing I did, therefore, was to arrange for the laying down of electric cables from the main plant into the arena. This in itself was a considerable item, as to run the current to each of the seven flash points I had to use nearly two hundred yards of cable. In fact, before I had everything ready to take the photograph, I was twenty pounds out of pocket. This sum included, in addition to many incidental expenses, the erection of stands to hold the flashlight powder, fitted with fuses and bright tin reflectors. To make doubly sure of success I used two cameras with twelve by fifteen plates. These I had to place in the front row of the auditorium, about two hundred feet away, to enable me to get in the entire scene. Finally I had everything ready; Major Wilson's party took up their positions, while the Matabele were just in front of me with their assegais, waiting to rush across the arena to the slaughter. As I stood with a pneumatic release in each hand I must confess that I felt not a little anxious as to the fate of my twenty pounds. The signal was given and the savages charged, brandishing their weapons, and just as they were in the act of massacring the intrepid Britishers I pressed both bulbs to expose my plates and touched the electric button to ignite the powder. The combined flash went off magnificently, and I think it alarmed Major Wilson's gallant men a good deal more than did the Matabele. On developing my plates I was very glad to find that I had obtained excellent pictures, which, when submitted to the authorities, brought me a congratulatory letter, stating thatwhat they believed to be impossible had proved to be an entire success.
Date
Source The Strand Magazine, June 1911, Vol. xli, No. 246, pg. 664
Author Frederic G. Hodsoll

Shot at Earls Court, London, UK, 1900

Licensing

Public domain
Public domain
This media file is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1929, and if not then due to lack of notice or renewal. See this page for further explanation.

United States
United States
This image might not be in the public domain outside of the United States; this especially applies in the countries and areas that do not apply the rule of the shorter term for US works, such as Canada, Mainland China (not Hong Kong or Macao), Germany, Mexico, and Switzerland. The creator and year of publication are essential information and must be provided. See Wikipedia:Public domain and Wikipedia:Copyrights for more details.

Captions

Add a one-line explanation of what this file represents

Items portrayed in this file

depicts

30 April 2013

File history

Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time.

Date/TimeThumbnailDimensionsUserComment
current22:16, 30 April 2013Thumbnail for version as of 22:16, 30 April 2013741 × 391 (134 KB)Ctatkinson~commonswikiUser created page with UploadWizard

The following page uses this file:

Global file usage

The following other wikis use this file: