Construction of Colour Organ

Alexander Wallace Rimington

01/01/1912

Eng

I have designed and constructed and used largely for experimental work- which will be referred to in future as the colour organ- it has been done as follows: By dividing the spectrum-band similarly to the musical octave. By giving the colour organ a key-board like that of the organ or the pianoforte. By arranging for the general control of the whole keyboard by means of stops somewhat like those of the organ By providing higher and lower octaves in the colour scale of relatively paler and deeper intensity, somewhat analogous, though not strictly corresponding to, the higher and lower octaves of the music scale, though, of course, in the colour the wave lenght remains the same […] The complete spectrum band, was thrown upon the screen by two bisulphide of carbon prism-the source of white light being an unenclosed arc-lamp. An opaque diaphragm was then interposed close to the screen with an extremely narrow slit in it, and the fine slice of colour rays passing through it was made to correspond in position on the spectrum-band and approximately as to its rate of vibration to the notes of the musical scale in their relative intervals. The narrow ribbon of colour, thus cut off from the spectrum band, was then accurately matched and apparatus designed for producing it in larger quantity in the colour-organ and placing it under the control of the corresponding musical note upon its keyboard. The keys of the colour organ were then connected with suitable mechanism for allowing these several colours to appear on the screen as soon as the keys are depressed.

Alexander Wallace Rimington, Colour Music. The Art of Mobile Colour, Hutchinson, 01/01/1912, Londra
tipologia Trattati e altre fonti teoriche
ambito Arti performative

pp. 47-49

Colour organ (Eng)

Colour (Eng), Colour Music (Eng), Spectrum-band (Eng)