It will be noticed from the diagrams that both sides of the show are fitted with two small rods, bearing miniature curtains. These are to prevent the audience seeing what the showman is doing “behind the scenes.” Their mode of fixture is explained in [Fig. 3]. Four pins, with their heads nipped off, are bent in the shape of a horseshoe, and a pair driven into each side of the stage front (A, [Fig. 3]).
Fig. 2.—Show from back view.
The two rods, which can consist of thin pieces of cane, are then pushed into the sockets thus formed, and the curtains threaded upon them by means of a wide hem sewn along the top. The advantage of this method of fixture is that when the show is packed up, the curtains can be easily removed by merely pulling the rods from their horseshoe-shaped sockets.
Fig. 3.—Back view of partially constructed apparatus.
The floor or base of the show must next be provided. Procure a piece of wood about 10 inches long, 1⁄8-inch thick, and of the same width as the stage front. A block of wood is then nailed or glued along one end of this, and the stage front fixed firmly to it ([Fig. 2]).
Having done this, make a journey to the nearest glazier’s, and purchase a piece of glass of about the same dimensions as the wooden base. This should not cost more than ten cents. Clean the glass thoroughly, and rest it against the top of the stage-front at an angle of about 60° ([Fig. 3]). Next take a picture postcard, and lay it on the wooden base between the end of the glass and the stage front. (See B, [Fig. 3].)
If the room now be darkened, and a bright light thrown upon the postcard, its reflection will be clearly visible on the glass, and to those looking through the stage front it will appear exactly similar to the view projected upon a screen by a small magic lantern.
Should the reflection be at all lopsided, the angle of the glass must be altered until this defect is remedied. A block of wood, or an ordinary cigar-box, must then be placed upon the wooden base with its edge along the glass, and nailed securely in position. (See A, [Fig. 4].)