BODYLESS LADY. 305 



possible in front of the show, and not too much at the side ; other- 

 wise the reflection may not be properly visible to those at the 

 extreme sides. 



Expt. 341. The Bodyless Lady, or Talking Head. Another 

 popular illusion worked by reflection is one which is capable of 

 being shown in many different ways, but generally as a head and 

 bust suspended in mid air without any attached body, or apparently 

 decapitated and lying in a dish, &c. ; the head obviously belongs 

 to a live person, as the eyes can move and the lips and mouth 

 can talk, but no other part of the body is to be seen. 



One way of showing this illusion is to fit up the stage (prefer- 

 ably in the form of a square cabinet, in the centre of which the 

 " talking head " is to be seen) with a carpet of such a pattern as 

 to present just the same appearance, whether viewed one way or 

 the reverse, whether right side up or down, whether from left to 

 right or vice versa, some kind of tesselated device being usually 

 chosen. The walls of the apartment are papered with some 

 analogous kind of paper, the object being to prevent the spectator 

 from distinguishing whether he is looking at the real carpet or wall, 

 or is only viewing a reflection thereof. Two glass mirrors are then 

 arranged vertically on the floor, one edge of one being in the right 

 hand back corner of the square room, and one edge of the other 

 being in the left hand back corner, the other edges meeting 

 towards the centre of the room, so that the vertical surfaces of the 

 mirrors are exactly at right angles to one another. Fig. 146 

 represents a plan of the room, AB and BC being the lines on which - 

 the mirrors stand. The mirrors are of 

 such a height that the person whose head 

 is to be seen can comfortably sit, stand, 

 or recline (according to the position of 

 the head required) behind the angle 

 formed by the two mirrors, the head 

 appearing above their upper edges, but 

 the rest of the body being hidden. A 

 wreath of flowers or some other kind of 

 elegant border or setting is provided, 



so arranged as to form a sort of top K 14g> Bod less Lad 

 to the angle of the mirrors, li the 



shape of the cabinet is properly proportioned to the pattern 

 of the carpeting and wall papers, and these are properly applied 

 and illuminated by hidden lights, an observer situated in front of 

 the mirrors and with his eyes about level with the u phantom " 

 head, will see the head, &c., above the top of the mirrors, just as 

 if nothing intervened between his eyes and the rest of the body ; 



U 



