Chapter 755 lntroduction of Film and theWorld's First Photograph
Berengar stood in the Kufstein Chemistry Departnt's main lab, where Aldo von Passau and his team of chemists were eager to introduce their latest invention to the Kaiser. He had been dragged from his ho to this building to witness the newest invention. Or should he say prototype to the newest invention.
As chemists, Aldo von Passau and his team received almost limitless funding in the pursuit of their scholarly objectives. So of them focused on dicine, while others focused on military products, and others yet pursued their own brilliant ideas.
There were currently two new inventions sitting on a table in the lab. Berengar recognized them imdiately and was surprised that they had been developed. One was a roll of film, and the other was a primitive box cara that utilized the aforentioned film to take pictures.
Though Berengar imdiately recognized the devices, he feigned ignorance. It was best not to act like he knew everything that these n invented. After all, he did not want to start an investigation into the origins of this knowledge.
"This is it? These are the new inventions? What are they?"
Aldo von Passau wore a pleasant smile as he introduced the concept to Berengar.
"This is sothing we have been experinting with for a while. The idea ca to , when a friend of mine who is a rather lazy artist asked what if we could capture a mont in ti into a single picture, without the need for paintings?
Together with the work of my colleagues in both the Chemistry Departnt, and a few friends of mine who understand engineering. We ca up with this that you see here!"
The result was a roll of film that appeared fairly modern. Berengar picked it up and gazed into it for a few monts before asking for an explanation of the process used to make it.
"How did you make this?"
Aldo had a prideful smirk on his face as he announced the ans he used to create the film.
"We started with a mixture of silver and chlorine, which created a compound called silver chloride. After much experintation, we found out that this chemical is sensitive to light, and thus after crystalizing it, we experinted on ways to make use of it. Eventually, we settled on a mixture of the silver chloride crystals with gelatin that we applied to a celluloid substrate.
We have attempted many chemical combinations, but this is the best result we have had. In the end, an engineering friend of mine put together this other device to make use of it. We were just about to try it out, and I figured you would want to be in the world's first picture."
Berengar gazed at the Cara and noticed it was a basic box cara. A box cara made use of a cardboard or plastic box with a convex-concave lens on one side, and the film on the other. With the press of a button, it could take a still photograph. Berengar was pleased that these n wanted to include him in their experints, especially since it looked like they may actually have a working product.
Thus, while dressed in his Imperial Regalia, Berengar put on a smile as he stood side by side with the team of chemists and a few engineers. These n stood next to a table that held a roll of film and another box cara prototype. A mber of the Chemistry departnt, who did not take part in either endeavors, held the device in his hand, after being carefully instructed on its use.
When everyone was in position, he pressed the button, and with a large flash, the photo was taken. Though it would take so effort to develop the negative into a proper photograph, the scientists were certain that they had taken the world's first photograph. Berengar was pleasantly surprised with this visit, and imdiately questioned Aldo about the feasibility of large-scale production.
"Aldo, how long will it take you to find out the results of this? Better yet, how long before we can begin the manufacture of these box caras and film?"
Aldo could tell Berengar was over eager, which was strange for a man who usually got excited by military hardware, and not simple products like this. After the developnt of chemical weapons, that made the man ashad to call himself a chemist, Aldo could not help but question Berengar's intentions.
"Why do you ask?"
Berengar was not afraid to reveal the plans he had in store for these photographs. Though he was unaware of Aldo's reservations about chemical developnts in warfare, he was happy to explain the practical purposes of caras.
"I just had a brilliant idea. We could employ these devices in the fields of intelligence, governnt docuntation, and propaganda. Can you imagine it? Say one of our agents is in the field, deep behind enemy lines, and they find evidence of an enemy conspiracy. They could take photos of these docunts, and send them back ho where a proper counter asure can be taken place.
Then there's the Departnt of Propaganda. We could take photos of major events, and display them in the national papers. The people could see with their own eyes the greatness of our country, other than just reading about it.
Then there are the purposes of governnt identification. For example, in immigration, it would be best to have a proper ID card with one's photo, so that we can determine whether the holder is lying about their residency status.
There are limitless applications of this technology, and perhaps we might one day be able to develop the ans to not just docunt a single instant in ti, but the passing of ti itself! Think about it Aldo, you and your team have just changed the way the world will work!"
It shocked Aldo to see how far Berengar had thought ahead with the use of this newest invention. It had only been a few monts since Berengar witnessed its use, and yet he already thought of so many ways to use it for the good of society. Docuntation, intelligence, and propaganda could all benefit from the device. In fact, these fields would be so affected, that the people working in them would have to rethink how to approach their jobs.
Unlike chlorine gas, this invention could be used to help the Empire in more than simple killing effect. He was pleased that he could redeem himself with a useful invention after being the lead designer on the chemical weapons project. Thus, he thought about it for a bit before speaking his opinion on how long it would take to get these devices into the hands of those who needed them.
"We can begin production in three to six months. After that, I suppose it will take so ti before we are able to produce enough of these devices to be used efficiently by the different governnt departnts who require them. However, within the next couple of years, they should see common use throughout the Reich."
Berengar was pleased when he heard this, and nodded his head with an emphatic smile on his face.
"Good, very good. Well, I will leave you to your work Doctor. Make sure not to disappoint . I look forward to the days when my agents can have these employed in the field."
After saying this, Berengar departed from the Kufstein Chemistry Departnt and returned to the palace. He had many plans for these devices, and was happy that the subordinates beneath him were progressing in the knowledge of their fields.
Berengar had given the German people the ans to stand ahead of the rest of the world. Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Astronomy, Engineering, etc. These were all fields that Berengar had at least basic 21st century undergrad understanding of, and thus educated the people most suited to expand upon them.
In the years since he introduced this knowledge to his people, many of his citizens had beco educated, and those with gifted minds had entered and graduated the universities that Berengar founded. From a team of a few dozen chemists, Berengar now had hundreds working for him. Each was more eager than the last to make a major contribution to the world.
He would not be surprised if that in a hundred years, the German Empire of this world had been to the moon. It was an amusing thought to think of. A society with a 19th century mindset, but with 21st century technology existing in the 16th century, while the rest of the world remained in a renaissance environnt. Such thoughts brought a smile to the face of the Kaiser as he got back to work, humming a tune from his past life about.
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