The holes at the bottom for the rollers are four and one-half inches from the back f g, in order to insure that the line of pictures when in motion shall not fall back from the line b c, and are equidistant from the ends of the board and the oblique lines b d and c e, to secure as much room as possible for the roll. Make corresponding holes in the top of the box, taking particular care that they are exactly above those in the shelf, when that is in position. The rollers are made from sections of broomstick, with holes bored in the ends, and the wooden pins glued firmly in place. Remember that the upper set of pins are to be much longer than the lower to allow for the insertion of the crank. These rollers are about eleven and one-half inches long, and when the glue has thoroughly dried, should be put in place and kept there by inserting the shelf, and fastening it in place by nails driven through the sides as at i i, in Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 represents what is called a horizontal section; that is, the work is supposed to be cut across from front to back, a little way above the shelf just mentioned, and the observer is supposed to be looking downward at it. Fig. 4 represents the work in an upright position, and the observer sees the front of it.
From the top of the shelf to the lower outside edge of the box should be just five and one-half inches. Next come the two uprights, a b, c d, Fig. 3, and A A, Fig. 4. They may be made from the bottom of the box, which was taken out, it will be remembered, and let their width correspond to a b and c d, Fig. 3. Round off the edges at a and c, and smooth it with sand-paper, as it would soon tear the pictures if left in a rough state; place these two boards in position, and secure them by nails at the top and bottom. Now cut two oblong pieces from stiff cardboard, as long as these wooden uprights, and wide enough to cover the spaces left at e b and d f, and tack these in position; they are shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4.
From a thin board cut two other strips to cover the spaces g h, but leave the placing of these till the work is nearly finished. A board two feet long and about three inches high is also necessary for the lower edge of the front, and should be put on after the other parts are in position, to hide the flame of the foot-lights (consisting of a row of short candles) from the spectator. The two pieces like Fig. 5 are made of pasteboard and are designed to furnish the upper and lower portions of the frame for the pictures. Their position is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4. As it is somewhat difficult to arrive at the exact proportions of these irregular pieces, without the actual box before one, it will be easier to leave this to the maker, as it is simply necessary to take a stiff piece of paper and place it in the position desired; then crease the lines so that they shall meet the proper points on the uprights; the lower piece comes up to the top of the shelf, and the upper piece comes down just below the top of the picture. After fitting this paper, it is an easy matter to trace the form on the pasteboard, taking care that all the lines are perfectly straight. The curtain should be next adjusted, and a piece of dark blue or green cambric is best suited for this purpose.
Cut (do not tear) from your cloth a piece of the required size, making sure that the sides are at right angles to each other, and prepare another roller from your broomstick twenty-one and one-half inches long. This roller is seen between e and f in Fig. 3. Paste or glue one of the ends of the cloth, which corresponds to the length of the roller, smoothly around it; now letting this roll just touch the floor, draw the other end up evenly, and tack it along the under-side of the top of the box, on a line three inches from the edge. In order that the curtain may roll up smoothly, it is best to mark straight lines with a pencil and ruler, on both roller and box, and adjust its edges carefully to these lines.
Just in front of this line, and at two inches from either end, tack to the box the ends of two pieces of fish-line, and, carrying the strings down the front of the curtain, bring them under the roller, up on the other side, and through two small holes bored for the purpose in the top of the box, about three and one-half inches from the ends; next bring the two strings together, and pass them through a screw-eye placed at the middle and back edge of the top to receive them. At one side of the back, in any convenient place, drive a small nail to wind the strings upon when the curtain is up. By simply undoing this, the curtain can at any moment be made to fall. It is also well to tie the two strings together, and fasten a button to them just back of the point where they pass through the screw-eye, when the curtain is down, and they are evenly drawn, as this prevents an extra play of the cord, and obviates entirely the danger of their slipping. Before the curtain is nailed on, it is best to paper the whole beveled surface picture frame with some neat plain paper; very dark red or green “velvet” house-paper being preferable to all others.