Doing a bit of further research on this.. if one were to look from the perspective of stage lighting, perhaps the source of snoot lighting can be examined by looking into modifications made on the spot light?

This is spurred by the practical application of the fresnel lens used in stage lighting. Although it was built for lighthouse applications in 1823, a fresnel spot was introduced to stage lighting in 1929 by the Kliegl Brothers (needs proper citing). An e-source states that the fresnel spot saw popularity in 40s and 50s photography, however some suggest the 1920s also used fresnel lighting in photography as well (no reference except for online sources).