POLYTECHNIC INVENTIONS. 403 



conceal the whole body but the head, which may appear to 

 be resting on a pole or narrow pedestal in front of the 

 glass. In this way Blue Beard places the carefully- 

 embalmed head of a deceased wife, the victim of his 

 cruelty, upon the pedestal to look at. This head, if an 

 excellent wax likeness of some lady performer of the esta- 

 blishment, is easily put out of the way when being placed 

 on the pedestal and represented by the lady performer 

 herself, who appears from behind, showing only so much 

 of her head as replaces and represents the wax likeness. 

 Blue Beard then retires to smoke and contemplate, 

 when to his astonishment and horror the dead head 

 addresses him, opens its eyes, &c. This illusion is very 

 ingenious and perfect. Cherubs may be made to float 

 about by representing heads of children or young 

 performers in the same way, their bodies being concealed 

 by a screen of green cloth in front of the floating stage on 

 which they stand. The great advantage of the dark- 

 green cloth groundwork in blending, though in separate 

 pieces, as if it were only one continuous background, is of 

 great importance, together with such a subdued and 

 appropriate arrangement of the light as prevents the plate 

 glass from glancing and becoming apparent to the 

 audience, and the ingenious invention is capable of far 

 higher dramatic effects than it has yet been applied to. 

 Professor Pepper's ghosts, like those of Shakespeare, are 

 almost too refined and gentlemanly for any but those 

 delicate and metaphysical qualities of mind which ap- 

 preciate the characteristics of propriety and logical con- 

 nection in everything. The white sheet horror is more 

 suited to the modern sensational drama. But there 

 really is some defect in the representation of Shakes- 

 peare's grand ghost scenes, which modern science might 

 surely apply itself to remedy. The ghost of Hamlet's 

 father and others want a glistering, phosphorescent and 



