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Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring
·
Professor Hoffmann
707
From
the
preceding
ground
plan
of
the
cabinet,
it
will
at
once
be
seen
by
the
simple
laws
of
optics
how
our
very
eyes
may
be
made
to
cheat
the
other
senses:
A
B,
C
D,
is
the
floor
plan
of
the
cabinet.
A
B,
B
D,
D
C,
and
C
A,
representing
the
four
sides.
E
is
the
pillar
from
floor
to
roof.
Attached
to
the
sides
A
C
and
B
D,
are
two
plate-glass
sides
fitting
exactly,
so
as
to
form
two
sides
to
the
cabinet,
A
E,
B
E,
terminating
in
the
pillar
E.
These
plate
glasses
are
movable
on
hinges
in
the
direction
indicated
by
the
arrows,
and
could
be
moved
close
to
the
sides
of
the
cabinet.
The
backs
of
the
plate-glass
doors
are
painted
or
papered
to
resemble
exactly
the
sides
of
the
cabinet,
so
that
when
closed
the
plate-glass
sides
appear
to
be
bona
fide
sides
of
the
cabinet.
Thus,
when
a
man
stepped
into
the
cabinet
he
merely
opened
the
plate-glass
sides,
and
stood
behind
them
when
the
cabinet
was
opened.
The
glass
reflecting
the
sides
of
the
cabinet,
which
were
exactly
like
the
back,
made
it
appear
that
the
box
was
empty,
the
lamp
being
so
placed
that
it
was
not
reflected
by
the
glass
sides.
From
this
it
will
be
seen
that
as
many
persons
as
the
space
inclosed
by
the
folding
glass
sides
could
hold,
might
easily
enter
the
cabinet,
and
yet
not
seem
to
be
in
it.
This
and
the
Living
Head
of
Stodare
were
such
good
optical
illusions,
and
so
safe
for
the
exhibitor
to
work
upon,
that
succeeding
conjurors
have
improved
upon
the
trick,
and
produced
one
of
the
prettiest
and
most
marvellous
effects,
that
of
a
lady
being
seen
on
the
table,
without
any
lower
limbs
whatever,
and
yet
able
to
talk
and
sing.
No
doubt
many
of
my
readers
will
remember
to
have
seen
Fatima
when
exhibited
some
little
time
ago
in
Lime
Street,
Liverpool.
A
description
of
this
optical
illusion,
as
seen
by
the
public,
will
be
scarcely
necessary.
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