Improvements in Buildings or Edifices Constructed for the Production of Optical Illusions.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SIPULTIVATION.
Improvements in Buildings or Edifices Constructed for the Production
of Optical Illusions.
I, ADOLPH NOTIN, of 11, Abbey Gardens, Abbey Road, St. John's Wood, in
the County of London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
-
My invention relates to apparatus for public amusement and comprises the
novel house or edifice hereinafter described.
According to my said invention I so construct a house, edifice, or structure
that the roof, or that portion of it resembling the roof, will rest, or be supported,
upon the ground, that is to say I practically build the said house, edifice, or
structure, up side down.
To effect this purpose I find it convenient to support the structure upon the
ridge of the roof, and the chimney stacks, and in some instances in addition
upon one or more towers. The entrance to the building is preferably provided
in one of the chimneys in which a suitable staircase may be provided, and the
exit therefrom is freferably formed in the upper part, or that portion of the
building intended to represent the foundations or base, and which in the present
instance is uppermost. Descent may be made from this part of the building by
an external staircase..
Within the building or edifice I construct several chambers or rooms, and
corridors, and the like, which are so fitted with various mirrors as to give rise
to interesting and amusing illusions.
For example I form a room having a ceiling composed of mirrors, or looking
glasses, or the like, and one or more walls of similar material, and the floor of
which is raised so as to be somewhat higher than that of the adjacent rooms
or corridors. Upon this floor is placed suitable furniture and the room may be
occupied by one or more persons, both the former and the latter being reflected
upon the ceiling in a reversed position. This room or apartment is separated
from another room, or from a suitable corridor or passage, by a wall or partition
of such a height as to prevent the persons passing through the latter being able
to look over the said wall or partition, whilst at the same time admitting of
their seeing the ceiling of the room on the other side of it, and the reflection
of the furniture and persons therein, appearing as before said in a reversed
position. The ceiling of the outer room, corridor, or passage, is considerably
higher than that of the inner room, and has hanging therefrom suitable furni-
ture, the result of the raised floor of the inner room and of the higher ceiling
of the outer room, corridor, or passage, being to cause the reflection in the
ceiling of the latter to appear on a line with, and in the same chamber or room
with the ceiling of the latter. Were the ceilings and floors of both the inner
room, and of the outer room, corridor, or passage, placed on the same level it will
be obvious that the reflections in the mirror or looking glass ceiling of the
inner room would appear considerably higher up, or further off, than the actual
ceiling and hanging furniture of the outer room, corridor, or passage,

page_text: passages having hexagon or six sided walls formed of mirrors or looking glasses.
One side of this hexagon corridor or passage forms the floor, and running
centrally along this I provide a slightly raised platform with, or without, a
handrail at each side thereof, which platform admits of persons passing through
the corridor or passage and of their being mirrored or reflected in the various
mirrors or looking glasses forming the floor, walls, and ceiling, and a diversity
of curious and amusing effects being produced.
Another amusing and interesting illusion can be produced by forming the
corridor or at the head of the stairs or other part of the building with a wall
composed of mirrors or looking glasses set at such an angle, the one to the other,
that persons standing in front thereof will see themselves, and each other.
reflected or mirrored in the lower part of the wall in a reversed position or up
side down.
In order to insure proper and complete reflections of the persons I may
provide a suitable handrail or barrier to prevent them approaching too close
to the mirrors, and in some instances I form that portion of the floor within
the said barrier, or hand rail, also of mirrors, looking glasses or the like, and
slightly sloping inwards or towards the wall.
It is obvious that I may so arrange mirrors, or looking glasses, or the like,
in various other ways, that they will give the impression or illusion that the
people, or objects, or both, are in a reversed position, and in keeping with the
character of the building or edifice.
Dated this 26th day of July 1800
Improvements in Buildings or Edifices Constructed for the Production
of Optical Illusions.
T, ADOLPH KOTIN, of 11. Abbey Gardens, Abbey Road, St. John's Wood, in
the County of London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:
-
My invention relates to apparatus for public amusement and comprises the
novel house or edifice hereinafter described.
According to my said invention I so construct a house, edifice or structure
that the roof, or that portion of it resembling the roof. will rest, or be supported,
upon the ground, that is to say I practically build the said house, edifice or
structure upside down. The interior of the edifice is also so fitted up and con-
structed that persons entering the same will encounter optical and other
illusions as hereinafter set forth.
To enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe it by reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure is a perspective view of an edifice constructed according to the
invention:
Figure 2 is a sectional end elevation of the edifice:
Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation thereof:
Figure 4 is a horizontal section of the topmost floor:
Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 Figure 4:
Figure 6 is a sectional view illustrating a detail hereinafter described; and

page_text: of mirrors or the like o, and slightly sloping inwards or towards the wall as
clearly shewn.
Furthermore, one or more of the rooms or compartments, such as that shewn
at p, Figure 5, can be constructed with a spring floor 1, whereby when the visitors
enter the room and tread upon the said floor the latter sways and lotters. To
intensify the effect the front of the room is floored with glass or other suitable
transparent material and beneath this transparent floor there are arranged
two mirrors s, placed at an angle of 45° to the said floor and at 90° to one
another this arrangement reflects an image of the sky up through the trans-
parent floor so that persons standing upon the said floor appear to be looking
at the sky.
It is obvious that I may so arrange mirrors or looking glasses or the like in
various other ways, that they will give the impression or illusion that the people,
or objects or both are in a reversed position, and in keeping with the character
of the building or edifice.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A building or edifice constructed in an inverted position or upside down
and the interior of which is arranged to give the impression that it also is
inverted, substantially as herein before described.
2. In a building or edifice of the kind described in the preceding claiming
clause, the arrangement within the building of mirrors whereby persons on
entering the house see themselves and one another in an inverted position, sub-
stantially as herein before described.
3. In a building or edifice of the kind described in Claim 1, the construction
of a spring floor in combination with mirrors reflecting an image of the sky
through a transparent position of the said floor, substantially, as hereinbefore
described.
4. In a building or edifice of the kind described in Claim 1, a room having
a reflecting ceiling and being separated from another room, corridor or the like
by a partial partition, the floor of the first room and the ceiling of the second
room or corridor being preferably arranged equidistant from the reflecting
ceiling of the first room, substantially as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore
described.
.
5. In a building or edifice of the kind described in Claim 1, the employment
of a polygonally (preferably hexagonally) shaped passage, the interior of which
is reflecting, substantially as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore described.
6. The inverted building, edifice or structure, herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the Sth day of February 1900.
G. F. REDFERN & Co..
4, South Street. Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.