In this article, you can read the editorial from our last newsletter of this year written by Eidolon-editor Róza Tekla Szilágyi, which was sent out on March 6, 2024. We publish our monthly editor's letters, in which we reflect on recent events, approximately two weeks after the newsletter is out.

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Hello there,

Coming back from London where our ‘Talks on everyday imaging vol. 2 – the self-centred and networked’ talk event took place at The Photographers’ Gallery I kept thinking about a small gadget that I had seen during our visit at the expanded Photography Centre at V&A South Kensington. Something called a “pocket sunshine” – how fitting in the dreadful and depressive month of February. I felt intrigued by the object not just because of its name but also because the last time I was using my phone’s flash instead of a proper flashlight going upstairs in the staircase I realised I have never really thought about the small gadgets that were the predecessors of the ever so convenient torch app/flashlight duo on my phone.

In a previous newsletter approximately a year ago I shared my interest in the tiny gadgets that pave the way in the history of photography, that accompany our attitude of trying to become the master of a fairly new machine called the camera. Last time the center of my attention was the Posograph, now I turn my gaze towards the pocket sunshines, the tiny containers safekeeping the magnesium flash ribbons that helped the amateurs take photographs in darkness, where our eyesight easily defeated us.

While thinking about how we take for granted the ability to photograph under almost any light conditions I came across a photograph, showing a man in some kind of a cave. The man is a crew partner of the photographer Charles Waldack during a mission where they hiked down into the Mammoth Cave in Kentucky to take photographs where no bright light existed. The year is 1866 and when I imagine the full darkness right before the moment the light generated by the magnesium powder they used to light the cave I feel unease.

Scotchman’s Trap. Photo by Charles Waldack, 1866, source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

The “pocket-sunshine” that grabbed my attention is the small size version of the magnesium powder lamps. Sir Humphry Davy was the one who in 1808 discovered how to isolate magnesium in its pure metallic form – but we would have to wait until 1865 for the first time when magnesium was used in photography. After 1865 numerous patents were filed for lamps which used magnesium in ribbon form – in these cases the light’s duration was directly proportional to the length of ribbon used. During the following years a lot of effort was dedicated to finding ways to make the process safer and quicker – the powder flash, spirit-lamp burners and powder trays were developed.

But I am most fascinated with the small palm-sized “pocket-sunshines” and Pistol Flashmeters, objects that help us imagine times where photographers had to be willing to take the risk so that photographs can come to light, literally. Anything to get the shot. That did not change.

Warm regards,
Róza Tekla Szilágyi
director of Eidolon Centre for Everyday Photography

You can find all previous editor's letters at this link.