IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRO- DUCING ALLUSIONS IN THEATRICAL AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENTS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Edwards, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRO-
DUCING ALLUSIONS IN THEATRICAL AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENTS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Edmund Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Potition and
Declaration, on the 20th October 1874, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMUND
EDWARDS, of 38, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ILLUSIONS IN THEATRICAL AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENTS,”
and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same,

page_text: and have made solemn Declaration that I am the true and first In-
ventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edmund Edwards, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal,
fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :—
My Invention has for its object an improved apparatus by means of
which the illusion is produced of a human being or other body being
apparantly taken to pieces or put together again, as may be desired. For
this purpose I take a vertical rod or standard of wood or other suitable
material, and upon either side of this rod I arrange a set of vertical
rectangular mirrors, the two sets being at right angles to each other and
meeting at an angle which is concealed by the vertical rod. Each set
of mirrors consists of two or more, the lower one resting upon or sliding
in a groove in the floor, and the remaining ones resting each one upon
the edge of the one below it. The entire sets of mirrors together with
the vertical rod are arranged within a niche or recess, the front of which
is open and facing the audience, whilst the sides which are parallel
extend back for some distance. The mirrors are sufficiently long hori-
zontally to extend to the back edge of these sides and for a short distance
past them. The mirrors being lighted from the front the illusion is thus
produced of a niche or recess, the back of which is formed by the
reflection of the two sides from the mirrors which are themselves not
perceptible. The rod appears therefore to be standing vertically in an
empty niche.
In order to conceal the junctions of the horizontal edges of the mirrors
I prefer to arrange over cach such joint a beading or covering (preferably
nearly semicircular in section) which may be made to imitate a cord or
bar, and the vertical rod then appears to be supported or stayed by
diagonal cords or bars to the angles at the back of the recess. The
vertical rod is not in one piece but is formed of as many pieces as there
are tiers of mirrors above each other, and each such piece is attached to
one of the mirrors which form the angle but not to the other; or it may
be divided vertically and one half attached to each mirror. The cords or
bars which appear to support the vertical rod are attached to the edge
of one of the mirrors whose horizontal joint they cover but not to the

page_text: other, and each of the mirrors is made to slide horizontally backwards
in the plane in which it is arranged, and past the back edge of the sides
of the niche or recess above described. This recess has no back but it
has boards, scenes, or wings extending laterally on each side of its sides
at their back edge so as to conceal the edges of the mirrors when they
are made to slide backwards in their own plane, as described.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-A performer clothed in
suitable drapery is placed inside the niche behind the mirrors, and the
exhibitor in front taking up an imitation arm, leg, or other limb pushes
back the proper mirror and passes the limb inside the mirrors. The
performer then passes the corresponding limb through the opening, and
the mirror being drawn forward against it the limb appears to be
adjusted against the rod. The remainder of the limbs are similarly
adjusted one by one, and the performer advances sufficiently for the
mirrors all to be brought forward to their original positions, when the
niche again appears empty with only the vertical rod stayed by hori-
zontal bars or cords within it, and the performer can then move away or
retire.
The sides of the recess may be made of opaque glass or semi-trans-
parent material, or may have panels in them open or filled with such
semi-transparent material, and outside which lamps or other objects
may be placed, the reflections of which appear to be behind the niche
and the illusion is thus increased. I prefer that the mirrors should be
as thin as possible, and they may be fixed upon frames or boards to
support them.
In conjunction with the apparatus above described a modification may
be used, in which the mirrors are each in one piece instead of in tiers,
and the vertical rod in front is made to resemble a spear, and part of
this spear being removed and an opening made in each plate opposite to
this part the head of the performer is thrust forward through the opening
thus left and appears to be impaled upon the spear.
The illusion of apparently taking the body to pieces is effected in a
way exactly the converse of that first described, and the usual adjuncts
of scenery, music, drapery, and lighting may be used to heighten the
illusion. The mirrors may fit against flat boards or frames behind them,
space only being left for the movements of the performer between their
edges, and an assistant may be concealed behind the mirrors for the

page_text: purpose of working the latter or otherwise assisting the illusion, and
instead of being arranged vertically the apparatus may be arranged in
any other suitable position, the lighting being adjusted to suit such
position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I
claim, the arrangement of moveable mirrors concealing and exposing as
required the different parts of a performer or other body, substantially
in the manner and for the purposes described.
5
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Edwards, have hereunto 1
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.