The times., 1901-05-26
ART OF TIE VENTRIL0QUISH
Tricks of Sound That Delight and
Amuse Audiences.

Acoustic Illusions Deceive the HUI
man Ear-ControI Over the Muscles
OF the Face Requisite - some
Principles of Articulation InvOlved
Veutriloquists may. according to their
specialties be divided into various classes
Some devote their talents to the lmlta-
tIon of the cries of animals. the songs of
birds the noise of tools, etc; others mi
tate the sound Of musical instruments;
some mock the noise produced by a
crowd, a regiment. or a procession. While
others again make dolls or dummies
speak. Certain ventriloquists initiate the
sound of musical instruments, from that
of the violin TO that of brass iastru-
ments with the most piercing notes.
Others excel in initiating tha noise OF the
plane, saw, etc. Some. while hidden from
the audience by screen, have the faculty
of conveying the impression of several
persons, or even a large crowd, engaged
in conversation or eXclamations.
Most yentTiloquists who exhibit in pub
lie considerably facilitate the Illusion they
desire to produce by using large articu-
lated dummies which they maize speak
and sing. and taik to one another-eaCh
in a different voice. These figures are SO
can move their arms and legs. turn their
heads to the right or left, give their
shoulders shrug, open or close their
eyes. and move their lower jaws in such
a way that their mouths seem to utter
the words that the spectator hears.
II may be said that these ventriloquists
succeed in producing so complete an IL
fusion that people are frequently per
suaded that the voice heard actually
comes from the mouth of the figure. and
does not proceed from the ventriloquist
but from a confederate. hidden some
where, whose voice is heard through the
medium of a speaking tube.
The art of ventriloquisim is based pri-
marily upon an acoustic phenomenon-the
difficulty that the ear experiences in de-
termining the exact point whence comes
the sound it hears. Thus, one person
calling another from little distance
frequently observes the one he ad-
dresses direct his gaze toward several
quarters before he turns in the right di
rection A common form of amusement.
especially in Continental Europe, is to
bIindfold a person in a room, and then,
making a sound as of the jingling OF
coins, make him tell from which direction
the sound proceeds. The fact that the
guess is almost always wrong, and fire.
quentIy a direction given directly opposite
the right one. provokes great amusement
among the spectators. Another illustra-
tion of the same point is that if several
persons stand in the same line, at few
feet from a spectator and one of them
emits prolonged souud-a vowel Tor ex-
ample, say a-a-a-that requires no motion
of the lips. the spectator win be unable
to determine from which of the persons
1f,r rF7nT
tries TO point the one out, he viii be al
most certain TO commit an error, the per-
son designated by him being the third
or fourth to the right or left of the one
who actually produced the sound
In the choruses of operas an endeavor IS
made TO have an agreeable aspect in sddi-
ton TO vocal qualities; ard, as b bsautiful
voice is not always accompanied with
pretty face. it often happens that n the
row of chorus they will place slightly su-
pernumeraries, who, although not Obliged
to sing, open their mouths and make be-
lieye to pronounce words, while in reality
the singing Is being done only by their
companions in the rear
The ventrfloquist VINO standing near his
dummies. succeeds in keeping his facial
muscles absolutely iHmovable, while his
figures become apparently animate, move
their lips and seem TO speak, produces
such an illusion among the specta tors by
virtue OF the acoustic principle noted as
may readily be conceived. The chief diff
Guilty in the art Of ventriIoquism is the
keeping of the muscles Of the countenauce.
throat, and breast immovable-that is to
speak without causing any Of these mus
eles to act
The ventriloquist who talks with a
dummy; that is interrogating him, ad-
dresses his Questions in an ordinary
voice, articulates distinctly and plainly
moves his lips; but when the dummy an
swers the Ventriloquists s face no longer
contracts and his lips scarcely part. ex-
cept to smile. The facial immobility pre-
served by him while he is really speak
ing can be explained by recalling a few
principles Of grammar, which are merely
applications OF the physiology of the
voice. These are based upon the modi-
fication Of vowel sounds, and their appli-
tongue in enunciation instead Of the lips.
So, upon the whole, the Illusion produced
by ventriloquists is the result, primarily,
OF an acoustic phenomenon, the uncer-
tafuty Of the sounds direction, and,
secondariiy, of a habit acquired Of speak
ing without moving the facial muscles.
The power of some ventr1loqulsts or
making their voices apparently proceed
from some point at a considerable dis
tance is largely or entirely dramatic. To
indicate the exact point whence the sound
usually takes care to indicate II by an eX-
pressive motion and by looking in that
direction, and by designating II, too, with
his finger. while his race expresses great
fea= interest or surprise; and T. this he
Joins the power Of modulating his voice
SO as TO produce the effect Of distance.
So the spectator easily persuades himself
that the sound actually does come from
the exact spot that is thus pointed out to
him in seemingly unintenuonal manner.