File:Modern magic. - A practical treatise on the art of conjuring. (1885) (14803834113).jpg

Identifier: modernmagicpract00hoff_0 (find matches)
Title: Modern magic. : A practical treatise on the art of conjuring.
Year: 1885 (1880s)
Authors: Hoffmann, Professor, 1839-1919 Hawkins, Arthur, ca. 1940
Subjects: Magic tricks
Publisher: London New York : G. Routledge and Sons
Contributing Library: Boston Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Public Library

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s the false arm and leg. Ofcourse he can as readily replacethe limbs by simply gliding thefalse limbs through the curtains,and releasing the bona fide legand arm from their constrainedand awkward position. Another exhibition offered byDr. Lynn to his patrons is thatknown as the Living Mario-nettes. This novel and amus-ing illusion was first introduced by a Frenchman, and was shown inthe metropolis long before the British public had heard of Dr. Lynn,and before he brought it out as a novelty at the London Aquarium.On a small stage, a real living head, attached to a miniature body,sings, talks, and acts ; and it is plainly evident to the audience thatwhile the head is really a human one, the manikin body is but a toy.Apparently the curious figures are not connected by any means withanybody, either at the back, sides, or beneath the stage. It will benoticed that the drapery is entirely of black, and that the eye is de-ceived, by the absence of any break in the color of the drapery, as to
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544 ANCIENT AND MODERN MAGIC. distance. The person appearing as the Living Marionette, fixesbeneath his chin the framework of the body. The back draper) isso arranged that he brings on the stage with him the curtains formingthe background to his head, while with wires fixed to the legs andarms, he produces a motion in the toy, giving it the appearance ofwalking on the stage ; so that while the Living Marionette is in thecentre of the stage, the body of the man is behind it. Thus there aretwo backgrounds to the stage—one of black, fixed ; the other also ofblack brought on with the head ; but being black, is not seen by theaudience, who imagine the head passes before the black curtain.Any number of heads can be shown, and two could perform at thesame time by coming on the stage from each side, with each half acurtain or background fixed to their heads. The annexed illustrationwill show the head, to which is fixed a movable black frame, and theposition of the real and the dummy body. T

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