History


Fireworks were thought to be invented as early as the 9th Century by the Chinese.
The story is that a Chinese cook toiling in a field kitchen in ancient times
happened to mix together three ingredients commonly found in the kitchen -
potassium nitrate or saltpeter (a salt substitute),
sulfur (a flammable solid), and charcoal (from charred wood).
The cook noticed that, when ignited, the pile burned with a combustible force
considerably more hearty than the burning of a bunch of sticks.
The cook apparently also discovered that if these same ingredients were enclosed
and then ignited, the combination exploded rather than burned -
producing a loud sound perfect for frightening off spirits,
celebrating weddings, battle victories,
eclipses of the moon, the beginning the New Year etc.

Development in the West


Legend has it that it was Italy's Marco Polo, who in his many journeys to the Far East,
brought numerous novelties back home,
among them the noodles that evolved into a mainstay of the Italian diet: pasta,
and the black powder that evolved into a mainstay of Italian entertainment
and celebration: fireworks.

Although black powder was discovered in the East,
where it was used ceremoniously much as fireworks are today -
it was in the West, in Europe, that its military potential was discovered
and its military usage truly evolved - first with rocketry, and then with guns.

When military victory was to be celebrated, it was done with fireworks.
As far back as 1532, Charles V, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire
had in his army "fireworkers"" whose particular function was to put on victory displays.

Soon fireworks were being used increasingly for entertainment purposes in the West
and became a major and elaborate entertainment in royal circles,
particularly at Versailles in the court of Louis XIV.

From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, the Italian and German principalities
were the two areas of the Continent best noted for their displays.
Their styles were very different.

The Italians emphasised the "machine" or "temples",
landscaping their shows with elaborate structures (buildings)
which were decorated with paintings of allegorical figures,
flowers and lamps which were cut out in silhouette to glow from behind.
The emphasis on machines was due to the fact that in the early days,
artisans did not have much to work with in terms of fireworks.
Amber was the primary colour and therefore much of the pageantry was focused on the machine.

The Germans of the Northern school, on the other hand,
relied more on the fireworks themselves.
They also had a kind of centrepiece (most often a figure, such as Cupid for weddings)
from which the fireworks themselves were displayed -
but it was much less elaborate than the machine.
One of the most famous graduates of the Northern School
was a Swedish soldier of fortune named Max Beckman -
who became the "fire-master" of England.

Musical Fireworks


By the eighteenth century, music was often incorporated into fireworks displays.

One famous performance took place in England
to celebrate the signing of the peace treaty ending the War of the Austrian Succession.
For the London celebration,
the English composer George Friedrich Handel created a symphony,
Music for the Royal Fireworks -
specifically for the fireworks display. The results were quite disastrous.

An enormous machine which had taken four months to build,
had been constructed for the event
and the noted Italian pyrotechnician Ruggieri had made I 1,000 fireworks for the show.
An English team of esteemed experts were to fire them.
Although I 1,000 fireworks were to be fired -
most of these 25 tons of fireworks were left unexploded.
This is because the English got into a fight with the Italians;
meanwhile, an explosion occurred just before the show was to begin
which destroyed much of the "machine".
To make matters worse, a man fell off the machine to his death
and a number of freak accidents happened within the audience itself -
a young spectator fell out of a tree and died,
a man lost his balance and fell into a pool of water and drowned,
and a young woman's dress caught fire.
(Ironically, it was this disastrous show that was used as the model for the fireworks spectacle
staged to celebrate the 1981 marriage of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer.
Palace authorities should have known better.
The 1981 event also turned out to be a disaster - the fireworks celebration, that is. ed.)