Charles Albert Keeley
Encyclopedia
Charles Albert Keeley was a British
inventor, amateur scientist
, entertainer and pioneering colour expert
. He is most famous for his 'Colour Conundrum' parlour game
, and is considered by many to be one of Victorian
Britain's
most significant colour theorists
.
in the 1860s, which was chaired by distinguished scientist and aeronautical engineer Sir George Cayley. Keeley became famous for an innovative form of magic lantern
display in which abstract
colour slides replaced the normal representational and narrative forms. By employing geometric and repetitive patterns his projections had the effect of producing afterimages in the eyes of his audiences (it may be that Keeley was familiar with studies of the afterimage made earlier in the century by Goethe and by Czech scientist Jan Purkinje).
Keeley's lantern shows were highly innovative for their time, but they did not prove popular to a Victorian
audience and in the early 1870s
he spent several months in America
, where he produced lighting
effects for the Metropolitan Opera House
in New York
. It is thought that his original prototype for Colour Conundrum, initially an idea for a parlour game, was devised during his time in America.
s from the closely situated primary coloured cards. Once the player has decided, the chosen cards are sealed within an envelope.
Proceeding to the other side of the cabinet, the player is allowed to open the envelope and is then offered a second chance to match the two chosen cards with a pair from this second cabinet display, by which time it "may be conjectured that some sort of deception or legerdemain is being perpetrated".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
inventor, amateur scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
, entertainer and pioneering colour expert
Color theory
In the visual arts, color theory is a body of practical guidance to color mixing and the visual impacts of specific color combinations. Although color theory principles first appeared in the writings of Leone Battista Alberti and the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci , a tradition of "colory theory"...
. He is most famous for his 'Colour Conundrum' parlour game
Parlour game
A parlour game is a group game played indoors. During the Victorian era in Great Britain and in the United States, these games were extremely popular among the upper and middle classes. They were often played in a parlour, hence the name....
, and is considered by many to be one of Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
Britain's
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
most significant colour theorists
Color theory
In the visual arts, color theory is a body of practical guidance to color mixing and the visual impacts of specific color combinations. Although color theory principles first appeared in the writings of Leone Battista Alberti and the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci , a tradition of "colory theory"...
.
Performance Work
Inspired by the work of French chemist and colour theorist Eugene Chevreul, Keeley was a regular performer at the London Royal PolytechnicUniversity of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
in the 1860s, which was chaired by distinguished scientist and aeronautical engineer Sir George Cayley. Keeley became famous for an innovative form of magic lantern
Magic lantern
The magic lantern or Laterna Magica is an early type of image projector developed in the 17th century.-Operation:The magic lantern has a concave mirror in front of a light source that gathers light and projects it through a slide with an image scanned onto it. The light rays cross an aperture , and...
display in which abstract
Abstraction
Abstraction is a process by which higher concepts are derived from the usage and classification of literal concepts, first principles, or other methods....
colour slides replaced the normal representational and narrative forms. By employing geometric and repetitive patterns his projections had the effect of producing afterimages in the eyes of his audiences (it may be that Keeley was familiar with studies of the afterimage made earlier in the century by Goethe and by Czech scientist Jan Purkinje).
Keeley's lantern shows were highly innovative for their time, but they did not prove popular to a Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
audience and in the early 1870s
1870s
The 1870s continued the trends of the previous decade, as new empires, imperialism and militarism rose in Europe and Asia. America was recovering from the Civil War. Germany declared independence in 1871 and began its Second Reich. Labor unions and strikes occurred worldwide in the later part of...
he spent several months in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he produced lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
effects for the Metropolitan Opera House
Metropolitan Opera House (39th St)
The Metropolitan Opera House was an opera house located at 1411 Broadway in New York City. Opened in 1883 and demolished in 1967, it was the first home of the Metropolitan Opera Company.-History:...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It is thought that his original prototype for Colour Conundrum, initially an idea for a parlour game, was devised during his time in America.
The Colour Conundrum
In 1873 Keeley invented 'The Colour Conundrum', a game which showcased his research.Rules
The participant is informed that at least two of the coloured cards are a matching pair, and is asked to select the matching pair. The player's perception may be influenced by factors such as the lighting inside the cabinet and by reflected hueHue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
s from the closely situated primary coloured cards. Once the player has decided, the chosen cards are sealed within an envelope.
Proceeding to the other side of the cabinet, the player is allowed to open the envelope and is then offered a second chance to match the two chosen cards with a pair from this second cabinet display, by which time it "may be conjectured that some sort of deception or legerdemain is being perpetrated".