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).
His ‘Samoiloff Lighting Scheme’ led to battens being made by Strand Electric.
> 1925 Strand Electric Catalogue entry
Samoiloff was credited as a designer on the production of The Eclipse at the Garrick Theatre (12 Nov 1919 – 3 Jan 1920)
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