BD046187

Some one has said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” Whether that be true or not, shadowgraphy is no new thing, for in our grandfathers’ days fun was manufactured from shadows.
But as yet there has not appeared a handbook dealing with the matter exhaustively; nor has the shadow-show been represented as being anything more than a youngster’s toy.
Such being the case, and having myself “worked” a shadowgraph somewhat above the average run of such exhibitions—making profit as well as fun thereby, it has occurred to me to put the thing into “black and white” for the benefit of those who may care to take advantage of my experience.
A. PATTERSON.
Apparatus.
many instances the obstacle to giving Shadow
Entertainments has been a difficulty in obtaining
the necessary apparatus, especially where there has
not been a handy man or amateur carpenter about;
but to meet this Messrs. A. W. Gamage, Ltd.,
of Holborn, London, and Messrs. Hamley, of 35,
New Oxford Street, London, have now established
departments where every requisite may be obtained,
be found none too large for more public performances.
Most tinmen would hesitate to manufacture a 12 in.
figure for less than is. The total cost of a home-
made article will be about id., perhaps less, especi-
ally if the amateur tinman is content to purchase
waste pieces of tin from the brazier, who is glad to
part with them at a nominal figure. Fourpence is
the price of an ordinary tin plate or sheet.
The tools necessary for the business are few and
simple (Fig. 4): (i) a pair of shears, which may be
had for half a crown, (2) an iron punch with a
sharpened point to it, a file, () a small steel chisel,
() a pair of round-nosed pliers, a pair of ordinary
pliers, a common bolt-nut and a flat-iron to use as
an anvil.
If you have a more elaborate supply of tools and
apparatus to make use of, all the better.
Let us now proceed to manufacture one of our figures, which we must endeavour to make as comical
in features and as striking and characteristic in out-
line as possible. Care must be taken to show up
. .
distinctly sundry effects, e.g., shirt-collar, coat-tails,
shoes, buttons, etc. Your figure should be so
realistic that its identity need not be disclosed other
than by its resemblances. Our first, Mr. Mole, the
traveller (Fig. 5), is not a very complicated personage
to start with. It will not be found easy to trace an
outline upon the tin, therefore carefully draw the
figure upon a piece of thin white paper, leaving it armless. Now, being thoroughly satisfied with the outline, cut out Mole with a pair of scissors, and paste him upon the piece of tin;
then proceed to cut him out as carefully as you sketched him, starting from either his hat or his heels, and taking care not to let your shears clip off any of the effective points. If you do accidentally remove them, a
little solder and a fresh “ point”
will set matters right. ‘Where
you cannot nicely get the shears
to work—say, between two legs,
or under an arm—lay the tin upon a block of oak or a bit of lead, and cut it out with the steel chisel. By wetting the paper you may speedily
remove it from the
figure. Lay your old
friend on the flat-iron,
placing the nut between
him and it just under
where you want to
punch his eyes and but-
tons. Knock in your
sharp - pointed punch
boldly, and make a goodFig.
sized hole. Having tapped off the punched-out
pieces which may be still ad-
hering, lay the figure upon the
anvil and hammer it flat and
level. A little manipulating
with the pointed end of a file
will put the holes in trim.
For the arm holding an
umbrella, another and pro-
portionate sketch must be made
(Fig. 6). At the spot indicated
by circles carefully punch two
holes of moderate size. Having
provided yourself with two-
pennyworth of in. iron rivets,
fix the arm upon the figure thus
(Fig. 7): at A, after having
punched a hole in the responding with that in the arm, insert a rivet, and
clinch it, but take care not to fix it so tightly that the
limb will not work. If you carefully place the sharp
edge of the chisel on the centre of the rivet’s smaller
end (as it stands on its head upon the flat-iron, through
the double thickness of tin), and give it a gentle tap, it
will split slightly; a tap or two more with the hammer
will spread this end of the rivet so as to effectually
prevent all possibility of its coming out again.
Before proceeding, however, to make the limb a fixd ture, you must, at B, pass in another rivet,
through the arm only, and having made a
loop in your lever-wire (Fig. 8), clinch the
rivet just sufficiently to prevent the ioop
from slipping off it. The wider you spread
the “clinched” end of the rivet the safer,
so long as it continues to work easily.
Your lever-wire should be of No. 9 size. A friend ol
mine has actually made use of umbrella wires for
this purpose, using as rivets small flat-headed brass
nails cut down to a requisite length, and
then securely clinched. At c, rivet or
solder on a stiffish bit of iron for a handle:
such iron strips as are discarded by
corkcutters after undoing their bales will
answer admirably. Take care to make
this handle long enough to be grasped
firmly by the hand; let it run halfway
up the figure if necessary to make it.  stiff. E E are rivets joining figure and iron. At
D, stab two small holes with a bradawl, and
having made a tiny loop of a bit of thin wire,
insert the two ends and turn them at the back.
This loop (Fig. g) will not only keep the wire in
position and in safety, but will prevent its being seen
when the figure is worked.
Having completed the figure, you may give him a
variety of names as may best suit your purpose.
He will answer admirably for a parson, a commercial
traveller, a retired baker, or an old bachelor. This figure may be duplicated by several others providing hats.
The following figures are somewhat more coink. plicated. A sailor (Fig. io) has one leg and one
arm to work. Accordingly the body must be
manufactured minus one leg and one arm; the other
added limbs will be “shipped on,” as in the last
figure, and a couple of levers affixed, each one worke. ing quite distinctly from the other.
In the case of the pickman, who is a very complicated fellow, the body must be made in two pieces,
hinging on a rivet at the centre (Fig. ii).
Fig. 12 represents an elephant, from the “ machinery” of which that of any other creature may be
easily invented.
Figs. 13 and 14 are a lion and a bear, the one
having its tail and jaw movable, the other being
capable of rearing on its hind legs.
you make them with slightly different noses and
Set pieces.—It will be found necessary in “set pieces” to have certain effects introduced, such as houses, bridges, etc. These may be made of one large piece, or of a number of odd pieces rivetted or soldered together. If desirable, various ingenious devices may be introduced, such as lamps, palings, and the like. In a sketch which I shall presently introduce, a broken bridge forms a very important feature. Having sketched out a proportionate half of the bridge, proceed to cut it out (Fig. 15). By laying this upon the tin out of which the other half is to be cut, that half will be very easily marked out. At i and 2 two small holes are punched for the insertion of a couple of tin-tacks, which will be found sufficiently strong to hold the half-bridge in position behind the screen. A very simple form of house is shown in Fig. i6.
A windmill may be introduced (Fig. 17), the sails of which are made to revolve by means of a lever arrangement ; and a hundred other effects will pre. sent themselves as the need or the humours of the operator may dictate.  With wheeled figures the fun may be much augmented. One sketch and description of a wheelbarrow (Fig. 18) may suffice to give ideas for a variety of other vehicles, e.g., barrow-carts, carriages, oyster barrows, perambulators, and the like.
The man must be made in two pieces, a loosely working rivet at A allowing the body plenty of play. Rivets at B and C give the barrow and its wheel play also. If the leg of the barrow be cut twice its
necessary length, and then turned at a right angle,
as at D, it may be made to stand alone. By means
of the lever wire the man may be made to fall on his
knees, sit under the barrow, and cut other amusing
capers. Wheels from German toys come in cheaply
and save the labour of cutting them out; few
amateurs, indeed, could turn out anything so neatly
finished. Gaining admission to schools.—A ddresses to patrons.
—Testimonials.—Specimen handbill.
IT is not so easy a matter nowadays to gain admission into public schools, particularly the Board schools, as it was a few years ago. There are many restrictions now that were unknown in the old days. Then, of course, there were so many humbugs swindling the children out of their halfpence, that honest caterers have to suffer for the naughtiness of others. To gain access to the Board schools of any town the chairman should be first sought, and his sanction, preferably on paper, obtained. Armed with this permit, few masters will refuse one permission to perform before their children. For Church school performances the vicar, or other clergyman, has first to be won over.
Of course these remarks are made only to those who wish to try shadow entertainments as a means of supplementing their incomes. There is a right way as well as a wrong way of setting out upon this business. The first and principal recommendations
are an honest face and a tidy appearance. A ready
tongue is a famous adjunct. If the performer gain
a hearing, he should produce a figure or two, the
more complex in make the better. If he succeed in
gaining his hearer’s attention things will swim, and
he will carry with him into the next town or village
a capital testimonial, more especially if he can induce
the vicar or Board school chairman to record his
commendation on a sheet of paper. The showman
should preserve these testimonials in his pocket-
book, pasting them in if possible, and never be loth
to show them; but he should keep them clean, for
folks reckon a man up by appearances.
If you fail to gain access, send in a circular printed
somewhat as follows:
Address to the Patron of the Schools.
SIR,—In these enlightened days, in which electricity in all its branches and kindred sciences have
made such rapid strides, it is pleasing to note that a
corresponding improvement has been made in the
means by which the young are amused and inter-
ested. The studies of the children are necessarily
laborious and depressing; what can better relieve
the strain upon the little ones than an occasional
and a hearty bit of mirth and laughter?
To assist—somewhat feebly perhaps—in this good
work, the proprietor of the Eclipse Shadowgraphic
PUBLIC PERFORMANCES.
Entertainment has produced his marvellously mirth- provoking entertainment. One hour’s solid fun is made by upwards of 100 mechanical figures thrown upon a screen. (See enclosed bill.)
With your kind permission I shall be pleased to
give (a) select performance(s) in your school(s) (each)
this afternoon.
Awaiting your esteemed favour,
I am, Sir, yours truly,
(The Vicar) JOHN BALDWIN.
Another circular to be sent to managers of school treats, Band of Hope entertainments, sales of work, bazaars, village club feasts, etc., may read s follows
Pikely.
Sir,—Having made arrangements with Professor Twinket to give select Shadowgraph Performances during the coming winter season, I shall esteem it a great favour if you will bear my entertainment in mind.
Terms for Bazaars, School and Band of Hope
Treats, Sales of Work, etc., on application.
Note.—This is the only genuine Shadowgraphic
Entertainment in the Town or County.
JOHN BALDWIN.
Shadows Extraordinary.
6, Tower Cottages,
(Bill enclosed.)