Lighting
Lighting has always played a vital part on the fairground. At night the enclosed magic of the fairground comes into another dimension with illumination flashing against the painted boards, carved icons, and glimpses of machinery and shows on display. The 'dream-state' alluded to earlier, whereby fairs allow a suspension of disbelief, is enhanced with the night-time atmosphere. Everything seems more electric and scintillating. The enraptured enclosure of the fair is maintained, but powerfully lit areas contrast with darker spots, and the passage around the network of rides and stalls becomes something of a magical adventure in itself.
Early fairs and shows used naphtha flare lamps, erecting them in long rows to dramatic effect. This was not without problems, as the smell and flammability of the lamps caused frequent fires. Carbon arc lamps provided a better alternative as the technology progressed, allowing spot lighting to be effected, and bringing in interplay with curved mirror sources. The main development came with electric bulb lighting - this allowed structure and décor to be mimicked as well as adding the dimension of flashing synchronicity with the music or 'pulse' of the ride.
Cultural significance of popular illumination grew with seaside architecture such as at Blackpool relying heavily on massed lights as entertainment. Similarly in popular culture the role of 'bright lights in the sky' became prevalent with a stream of science fiction films. By the early 80s films such as 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' were crossing semiotics over to the fairground, with the discotheque in close arrangement. The film poster for 'Saturday Night Fever' resembles a kind of fairground-ride-UFO hybrid. The interior of the enclosed rides on the fairground aspired to the 'party in motion' effect (see our section on 'Sound and Senses') with strobe and sequence lighting playing a key role of this totalising of the senses.
As the 80s progressed lighting combined with metalwork and fabrication and set the tone for a new, modern, futuristic and crisp aesthetic, chiming in with the film and music outputs from popular culture. Whereas painted artwork aspired to classic dance genres and figures from the 1950s popular culture, the combination of lighting, metalwork and fabrication mimicked the sleek futurism that became pervasive in the 80s. In terms of lighting, this continued through the 90s with the advent of neon strips, halogens, LEDs and light strips. Show fronts and Ghost Train interiors took further steps by utilising lasers and special effects. Currently showmen see LED lighting as an innovative way forward - these offer unmatched levels of brightness combined with an ability to switch and effect and utilise a new versatility of colour. With LEDs also offering longer life and reduced power consumption there is now the suggestion that 'traditional' light-bulbs that flocked to the fair to create that initial blazing aesthetic may soon be a thing of the past.
Illuminated zones create equal areas of darkness, though the whole sense of adventure is maintained and somehow heightened.
The Easy Rider utilised internal lighting with authentic headlights - the ride was plunged into darkness with the headlights then providing the only illumination.
Showmen James Mellors worked with manufacturer Pollards to build a massed lighting centre onto the Ski Jump - this became a significant feature and a turning point whereby lighting challenged painted artwork as the dominant transmitter of aesthetics.
This is the point where the myth and attraction of the UFO merges with the fairground ride...
Lighting combined with metalwork and fabrication is the current way forward.
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