X-rays at the Opitz Theatre: New inventions and technical wonders

In the world of itinerant fairground families, the name Opitz certainly rings a bell. This family of German origins travelled through Western Europe in the late nineteenth century with a colourful collection of attractions. Using Belgium as their base, they mainly toured with spectacular carousels. Thanks to the newly-introduced steam power, carousels proved to be a very profitable business. Soon, the Opitz family expanded its fairground operation with associated carousel attractions, such as those of Leener-Opitz and Opitz-Van Haverbeke.

Over the years, the carousels became increasingly elaborate, culminating in the salon-carousel. This attraction not only offered a ride, but created a complete experience with tables, seating, a bar, and sometimes even a buffet. As a result, a carousel visit took on a social function as a dance and meeting hall. The role of the organ at the fair should not be underestimated: it provided (dance) music, attracted potential visitors, and masked the noise of the roaring machinery running the rides.

The Opitz family expanded its fairground empire to include rollercoasters and a scientific theatre under the leadership of son Henri. This went beyond the traditional forms of fairground entertainment: He introduced innovative techniques such as colour photography, wireless telegraphy, and the American biograph for playing film footage. However, the most breathtaking part of his programme was the demonstration of X-rays. The Theatre Opitz presented this 'conference on the Rayons X du Professeur Roentgen', in which Henri not only entertained his audience but also offered educational worth.

In November 1895, Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen accidentally discovered X-rays during experiments with a Crookes tube. When a barium plate lit up in his darkened laboratory, he began experimenting with these mysterious rays. Röntgen found that the rays penetrated easily through various materials, but not through the human skeleton. The famous photograph of his wife Bertha's skeletal hand became a global symbol of this revolutionary technology. Newspapers, magazines, and postcards spread the image at lightning speed; and within a year a real X-ray craze was spreading throughout Europe.

Theatres and salons organized demonstrations where members of the public could see radiographic images or put their own hands under the rays. 'Skeleton hand photos' became popular gifts because they stood for eternity and love 'till death do us part'. The new technique excited not only science, but also the world of the occult: People speculated that X-rays could reveal spirits or make the invisible visible.

When Röntgen discovered X-rays in 1895, scientists did not yet have a clear idea of the possibilities of this revolutionary invention. Nevertheless, medical, technological, and photographic applications were already being speculated on. In an era when belief in supernatural powers was strong, scientists and occultists alike saw X-rays as a possible key to the unseen. They not only investigated practical applications, but also considered the connection between X-rays, magic, and the existence of spirits.

The fascination for this new phenomenon was not limited to laboratories and scientific circles. Even toy manufacturers surfed on the hype. A German manufacturer launched a magic trick called Magische X-strahlen as early as March 1896, just a few months after Röntgen's discovery. The toy promised users that they could 'see through envelopes', which played perfectly into the mix of curiosity and sensationalism at the time. These commercial products introduced the general public to X-rays in a playful way, beyond lectures and scientific demonstrations.

For fairground entrepreneurs like Henri Opitz, bringing the X-ray craze to the fairgrounds was a logical move. X-rays were the sensation of the moment and the fairground provided the perfect setting to present this magical and mysterious phenomenon. Visitors could immerse themselves in a world where science and miracles came together. Showpeople literally and figuratively brought the X-rays to life at the fair: 'Come and see!' at the Theatre Opitz!

At the Theatre Opitz, visitors could hold objects under the rays or even use their own hand as a test subject. The X-ray performances were often combined with other technological feats such as colour photography, film screenings with the American biographer, and demonstrations with a Marconi telegraph. The audience was first given a demonstration of the equipment, which came from the Radiguet house in Paris. Spectators could see for themselves how the rays passed through materials and how the contents of a wooden box became visible without opening it. They also brought their own objects to expose them to X-rays. As icing on the cake, visitors could place their own hand behind the screen of the installation to witness the skeletal anatomy of their own hand.

Other fairground attractions, such as the Théâtre Electrique Grenier, also added X-rays to their programmes, which was often done in combination with cinema. Both were introduced around 1895 and quickly picked up in the world of popular entertainment. This led to a unique multi-media spectacle. At the time, X-rays and cinema were new visual media that offered unprecedented viewing experiences. Over the years, the popularity of X-rays at the fair slowly declined, while cinema took over as the crowd-pleaser. This was perhaps linked to the growing awareness about the dangers of radioactive radiation, about which more and more stories started to circulate in the newspapers.

Visitors and especially fairground performers themselves came into intensive contact with X-rays. Forains travelled all over Europe with their scientific theatres and gave hundreds of demonstrations. One of them, Louis Vernassier, advertised his Théâtre des Merveilles as the only place where the public could see real X-rays, as opposed to those of 'charlatans who only exploit the hype'. Unfortunately, he paid a high price for this: He died of cancer in 1913, presumably caused by frequent exposure to the radiation released during the many demonstrations he gave.

As early as 1897, Ghent doctor Jules de Nobele warned fairground operators about the harmful effects of long-term exposure to X-rays. Their use in popular entertainment contributed to a heightened awareness of their danger. The general public, as well as scientists and medical experts, learned more about both the potential and risks of X-rays through these fairground demonstrations. The dangers of long-term exposure to radioactive radiation became visible, and the technology could be further developed and improved as a result. Scientific demonstrations at the fair played an important role in the early development of X-ray equipment.

In the early years, X-rays were mainly considered a magical phenomenon. The fair acted as a lever to bring this new technology to a wide audience. Visitors who admired their own skeletal hand during a fairground visit were introduced to a technique that would later become crucial to the medical world. Fairground operators also developed a lot of practical knowledge about these experiments and the complex equipment required to perform them. As early adopters of this new technology, they helped the public get used to innovations that later found their way into hospitals and laboratories.

Today, X-rays have become part and parcel of the medical world. We see them as a natural part of medical diagnostics and treatment. But the story of X-rays at the fairground reminds us how new technologies are often launched in the world of spectacle before they become part of our daily lives. The fairground thus remains, even decades later, a mirror of progress and imagination.