Münsterberg's Photoplays - continued...

After the World Fair in Chicago, Münsterberg's assistant Nichols published another description of the psychology lab in Dane Hall, this time for one of the first issues McClure's Magazine, a popular illustrated monthly journal. As Nichols explains in a footnote to his article, his piece includes images from Münsterberg's catalog: "The illustrations of this article are from photographs, specially taken for the Harvard University Exhibit at the World's fair" (Nichols, 1893, p. 399). More precisely, two of the photographs are reproduced as such, whereas two others are printed as etchings. In contrast to Münsterberg, Nichols does not focus on describing the still life of instruments. What he offers are descriptions of 'psychology in action'.

Studying the effects of sound and attention on colors (Nichols, 1893, p. 400)
Point your mouse to the image to see a high-resolution scan of the same image from the Harvard University Archives.

As Nichols explains the second image of Münsterberg's catalog (see above) depicts two experiments that aim at discovering "the laws by which the simplest sensations modify each other under the simplest conditions" (Nichols, 1893, p. 400).

The right hand group investigates the effect of sound on the perception of color: the test subject (covered with a cloth) is looking onto a small screen lit from behind by the light beam of a lantern. At the same time, he is subjected to the sound of a tuning fork (handheld by the student standing nearby). The perception of different colors is then tested with respect to the varying brightness and size of color projection and the presence or absence of tuning fork sounds.

Following the same scheme, the rear group shows an experiment with a color mixer that allows darkening or brightening the color presented to the test subject (sitting in front of the table). Nichols continues: "The persons operated on do not know what change is made or whether any will be made or not. They first look at the disk for ten seconds, taking good note of its color. Next, the operator changes the shade (or not) as he sees fit. Then for another ten seconds the subject judges the shade of color, but this time performs meanwhile a sum in addition as the operator calls to him simple numbers" (Nichols, 1893, p. 401).