Representing Pasts – Visioning Futures

Abstract

Edwin Rousby (1856-1927) was a Showman whose professional career spanned from 1880 until 1920. During all these years his act evolved from playing an electric organ in the beginning to a 6-month film exhibition in 1896 in Spain and Portugal. In 1900, Rousby decided to create a visual spectacle/show through the use of backdrops, lighting effects, and music. He toured the world from 1903 to 1914 showing the grandeur of cities like London and Paris in Europe, the USA, and Australia. My presentation focuses on the development and evolution of this show as a forerunner of the city symphony that developed in the 1920s. In some cases, Rousby´s show was confused with the cinematograph due to the “reality effect” that the lighting and diorama backdrops produced for the audience. In 1914 his show shifted from city scenes’ depiction to a more artistic and abstract representation due to his knowledge of lighting effects. His fall as a showman coincides with the advent of city symphonies as urban representations.