Did you know?

[Dumpstick]

The old time photographers used BP to create the flash to take a picture.

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No.

Flash Powder​

If you have watched any movies depicting life in the nineteenth century, you may have witnessed a photographer holding a tray that suddenly produces a bright flash and a loud bang. In some slapstick comedies, a cloud of smoke might then dissipate showing the photographer standing with a blackened face. This technique utilized what we now call flash powder.

Flash powder is a composition of metallic fuel and an oxidizer such as chlorate. When the mixture is ignited, it burns extremely quickly producing a bright flash that can be captured on film. Before being used for photography, flash powder was commonly used in theatrical productions and within fireworks — a practice we continue to this very day.

 

[turkeyrun]

About 40 years ago, a gunsmith / gun shop was cleaning up. He came across a 10# keg of BP. Not knowing where it came from or how old it was, he decided to get rid of it. He waited until 6pm on Friday. The other shops around him were closed and everybody gone. He started at the corner curb, by the storm drain. He poured a heavy mound and then a trail along the gutter, back towards his shop.
Running out of powder before he got to his door. He dropped a match and run into his shop, lights off, blinds closed, he peeked out and sees the powder burn off. A huge plume of smoke slowly drifts towards the chemical plant, 2 blocks away. As the plume reached the plant, alarms started blaring. The plume had activated the air monitor alarms.

He locks his door and watches. A dozen men with air tanks are checking monitors, guages, pumps, flanges, etc.

A few minutes later, black Suburbans with men in full hazmat gear show up.

He goes to the backroom and sits quietly until after 11pm.

Coming from a chemical background, I can only imagine the head scratching, conversations and confusion at that "sudden" spike registering on the monitors, setting off alarms and then disappearing.

 

[mr ed]

Years ago the FD said of my shop, they had orders to evacuate the area and let it burn in case of fire I had so much powder and ammunition stored. I had to have placards at all entrances. The Black powder had to be in a rolling container within 5 feet of the door.