The art of decorating dry goods windows and interiors

by L. Frank Baum

DESIGN SHOWING THE “ERUPTION OF VESUVIUS.”—Shogran.

The water effect was obtained by placing a piece of double strength window glass, 3 ft. × 3 ft. 6 in. on the frame, the detail of which you will find illustrated. Underneath it I placed a canvas frame painted near the same shade as the water in the foreground of my canvas representing Vesuvius. On the top of said frame I puffed loosely very fine veiling. I also puffed the veiling on top glass. The painted canvas frame gave me the water color, the glass, the realistic reflection, and the veiling mystified the whole. Hence a perfect water illusion, well worth trying. The fire and lava belching from the crater of mountain I obtained in the following manner: I first covered the entire canvas on back with heavy paper, making it perfectly opaque, then I tore a hole, beginning at the top or crater of mountain, about 5 inches wide, widening gradually as I went upwards, and to one side. Then I cut several openings large enough to admit little streaks of light on the left slope of mountain to represent lava running down the side, above which I cut a round hole for the moon; all which can be plainly seen in the picture. Back of opening representing lava I pasted different shades of red paper (tissue paper) and back of moon yellow. Back of the large opening at the top of mountain I placed a large wheel made of two layers of red tissue paper with little tufts of grey wadding between. Back of this wheel, exactly opposite the opening representing the crater, I placed a lamp. When set in motion I had the most beautiful representation of real, burning fire. As the different thicknesses of the wheel would pass the lamp they were illuminated, and as they passed on up they would cool off and finally die, disappearing in the smoke and steam, which was represented by carefully tufted white and grey cotton on the front of canvas. Two lamps higher up illuminated the smoke and steam in the sky; another to light up streaks of lava seen on the left slope; and the fifth lamp for the moon, which threw its yellow glow in beautiful contrast to the ever raging, burning flames from the crater of Vesuvius. In conclusion, I wish to say that I know my attempt at describing these effects is a failure, compared to seeing them in reality.

Mr. Shogran won a gold medal for inventing this fine effect.

A STUDY IN ASTRONOMY.

One of the most remarkable mechanical displays yet conceived is that designed by M. M. Mohnkern, called “A Study in Astronomy.” It is not theoretical, but has been made and exhibited by Mr. Mohnkern and has attracted and delighted thousands. It is, to be sure, rather complicated in construction, and requires a mechanic to build it, so that it will work smoothly; but it is thoroughly practical, and so very novel and beautiful when completed that it will repay the labor expended to produce it.

The device is intended as a background for any display of goods, and may be utilized by any merchant who has a show window, the expense being very little aside from labor.

In his description Mr. Mohnkern says: “In looking at this display through the show window one can easily imagine he has been transferred to some other planet and is looking at the solar system, where old mother earth revolves slowly around the sun. In the distance the moon is changing, first in the dark of the moon to the first quarter, then to the half, the third quarter and the full moon, decreasing again in the same way. The stars twinkle as naturally as they do in the heavens; the whole display is grand and awe inspiring.” We can well believe this.

Fig. 1 is the front view of the window, showing the sun, moon, earth and stars, and the orbit of the earth where it revolves around the sun. A strip of lumber was bent into a large circle, almost the full size of the window. Black cambric was stretched from this to the four sides of the window, and openings cut in the corners for the stars and moon, as represented, C C C being the stars, and D the moon. Back of each of the three stars in each corner small wheels were placed (see F F F, Fig. 2). These wheels were twice as large as the stars, and placed so that the center of each wheel was directly opposite a point of a star. Then half of each wheel was covered with black cambric and the other half with bright red. As the wheels revolved very fast, it made them twinkle like real stars. The moon was a large round hole cut in the cambric with yellow tissue paper pasted back of it, and an electric light suspended behind the opening. A disk is made, a little larger than the opening, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. A, Fig. 5, is the opening of the cambric; B is the disk; C is where the disk is connected with the axle. This disk is covered with black cambric and placed between the cambric background and the window pane. Thus it will be seen that as the disk slowly swung around, the changes of the moon would occur.

Two more strips of lumber were now bent into circles, about eighteen to twenty inches smaller in diameter than the first circle. One of these was placed flush with the first circle and held in position by means of braces I I. This circle was then covered by stretching black cambric snugly over it, and an opening was cut in the center to represent the sun (B, Fig. 1). Yellow tissue paper was pasted over this, and an electric light suspended directly back of it.