Adrian V. Samoiloff (October 1921)
Russian artistic ‘electro-technician’ who perpetrated colour tricks using lights of complementary colours. By using red and green lights and corresponding colours in set, costume and make-up, he was able to transform the look of a scene instantly.
His tricks with coloured lighting were originally seen at the London Hippodrome in 1921 in a variety show called ‘The Peep-Show’, in a scene called ‘The Valley of Echoes’, advertised by the wonderful newspaper billing ‘Staged with Spectrum Analysis by ADRIAN SAMOILOFF’ (The Times, September 16 1921).
Samoiloff was credited as a designer on the production of The Eclipse at the Garrick Theatre (12 Nov 1919 – 3 Jan 1920)
His ‘Samoiloff Lighting Scheme’ led to battens being made by Strand Electric.
> 1925 Strand Electric Catalogue entry
The Samoiloff Effect is based on a red colour filter making green & blue pigmented scenery / costumes dark, a green filter making red & blue dark, and a blue filter making red and green darker.
Keywords: The Samiloff Effect, The Samoiloff Effects, Samoiloff Lighting Effect