Disco Ball

Yes we all remember them, the disco balls. Every party had one, every kid wanted one and today they are nowhere to be found. Come on, seriously, when did you see a disco ball the last time? If your answer is yesterday you are lucky, although they still are for sale the old-timer disco ball had to be moved to give room to the new fancy laser equipment and other party gadgets. Luckily there still are some nightclubs that use the disco ball and spread a wave of nostalgia through the body of anyone that enters. The disco ball has become a symbol of the disco era and young people do probably not understand just how much difference a disco ball could make back in the days. Keep on reading to learn more about the disco ball.

Disco ball – History

The disco ball actually predates the disco era with over 50 years, the first photo shoot in which the disco ball appeared is of the German silent film “Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt” in 1927, but witnesses claim that it was popular throughout the entire 1920s. Although common the disco ball never got the attention they deserved until the disco era with all its funky attitude and enormous nightclubs. Combined with drugs the experience of a slowly rotating disco ball could be entrancing and it was probably therefore it became so tightly associated with disco in the first place. After the glorious disco era was the disco ball still standard on every party and nightclub and stayed that way until quite recent discoveries. A laser show could outshine the disco ball any day and could actually be attained without spending lots of money. Although many nightclubs then got rid of the disco balls then some stayed true to their roots and one of them is the nightclub ABC in Glasgow that until this date houses the largest disco ball in the world.

Disco ball – Effect

The disco ball effect is quite simple as it only has to do with reflection of light. The ball is constructed of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of facets which all have a mirrored outer surface thus creating not one spherical mirror but actually an awesome lot of individual mirrors pointing slightly in different directions due to the spherical shape of the disco ball. When lit, by a spotlight, these reflecting facets will spread the light in their own direction hence creating the visual experience of a disco ball. Set it in motion and the whole room will seem to spin. That is how simple it is.

Disco ball – Fernsehturm

In Berlin there is a very tall structure named Fernsehturm, in German it simply means “TV-tower”, and it has an extremely special feature. The visitor platform and restaurant is positioned inside a stainless steel dome in the middle of the tower and resembles a huge disco ball. Obviously was the disco reference not considered when it was built by the former German Democratic Republic between 1965 and 1969. What also was not considered was the cross of light that appeared on the sphere every time it was lit by the sun. This cross of light was such an annoyance for the atheist foundations of the Communist government that it simply was referred to as Rache des Papstes, German for "Popes Revenge".