in the limelight

Meaning of the phrase:

Origin of the phrase:

The limelight effect was discovered in the 1820s by Goldsworthy Gurney, based on his work with the “oxy-hydrogen blowpipe,” credit for which is normally given to Robert Hare. In 1825, a Scottish engineer, Thomas Drummond (1797–1840), saw a demonstration of the effect by Michael Faraday and realized that the light would be useful for surveying. Drummond built a working version in 1826, and the device is sometimes called the Drummond Light after him.

Limelight is a type of lighting that was used in the 1800s to illuminate the stages of theatres and music halls. The limelight effect was discovered in the 1820s by Goldsworthy Gurney when he observed that intense illumination was generated when an oxyhydrogen flame was directed at calcium oxide, also called quicklime. In1826, a Scottish engineer named Thomas Drummond was able to harness this effect to develop a working version of what was later called the Drummond Light.

The limelight was first used at an outdoor public performance on the night of October 3rd, 1836 to illuminate a juggling act performed by magician Ching Lau Lauro in Herne Bay, Kent, England. Limelight was first used for indoor stage illumination 1837, where the technology was employed at Covent Garden in London.

This type of lighting was eventually replaced by arc lighting in the late 1800s but the term has nonetheless survived. “In the limelight” continues to be used as an expression for being the center of attention or being in the public eye.

The idiomatic use of this expression began to make its appearance in the late 19^th century. As an example, the Omaha Daily Bee ran an article on the 24^th of August, 1902, titled People in the Limelight of Publicity, highlighting those individuals that were making news at the time.