A Klieg light is an intense
carbon arc lamp especially used in
filmmaking
Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, cast ...
. It is named after
inventor John Kliegl and his brother
Anton Kliegl. Klieg lights usually have a
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships."
The design allows the c ...
with a spherical reflector or an ellipsoidal reflector with a lens train containing two plano-convex
lenses or a single step lens.
Film
The carbon-arc source was so bright that it allowed film directors to shoot daytime scenes at night. The ultraviolet rays produced by the light also led to some actors developing an eye inflammation referred to as "
Klieg eye".
Stage
In the early days of spotlights, the name "Klieg light" became synonymous with any
ellipsoidal reflector spotlight
Ellipsoidal reflector spot (abbreviated to ERS, or colloquially ellipsoidal or ellipse) is the name for a type of stage lighting instrument, named for the ellipsoidal reflector used to collect and direct the light through a barrel that contai ...
(ERS), other carbon-arc sources or any bright source. Initially developed for film, the Klieg light was adapted for use as an
incandescent
Incandescence is the emission of electromagnetic radiation (including visible light) from a hot body as a result of its high temperature. The term derives from the Latin verb ''incandescere,'' to glow white. A common use of incandescence is ...
stage fixture in 1911.
Although not completely certain, the title of the first ellipsoidal reflector spotlight often goes to the 1933 Klieglight, which was first used to light an outdoor pageant in New York.
Century Lighting
A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c.
A centennial or ...
introduced their
Lekolite, developed by Levy & Kook, hence the name "Leko", in the same year.
Kliegl Brothers Universal Electric Stage Lighting Company was founded in 1896 and grew to be the largest stage lighting company in the world. The company closed in the 1990s, though members of the original Kliegl family continue to work professionally in the lighting industry to this day.
See also
*
Actinic conjunctivitis
Actinic conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the eye contracted from prolonged exposure to actinic (ultraviolet) rays. Symptoms are redness and swelling of the eyes. Most often the condition is caused by prolonged exposure to Klieg lights, ther ...
—inflammation of the eye that may be caused by overexposure to Klieg lights or other bright lights
*
Limelight
References
External links
Kliegl BrosJoel Rubin interview
Stage lighting instruments
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