Transcriber’s Notes

Text printed in italics has been transcribed between underscores, bold face text between =equal signs=. Small capitals have been replaced with ALL CAPITALS.

More Transcriber’s Notes may be found at the end of this text.

HOME FUN

HOME FUN BY CECIL H. BULLIVANT

NEW YORK DODGE PUBLISHING COMPANY 214-220 EAST 23RD ST.

PREFATORY NOTE

NOT to produce workers of wonders or exponents of marvelous mysteries; not to launch on an already over-crowded market a host of professional or semi-professional entertainers--but rather to give to those who can find real pleasure in amusing others, such knowledge as shall enable them to transform the lagging winter hours into periods of sheer delight, has this book been written.

While in no sense does it claim to be an exhaustive guide to home amusements, it represents a serious effort to bring within the scope of one volume almost every form of popular home diversion.

The subjects have been dealt with from a simple but perfectly practical point of view. In addition to the different accomplishments being so explained as to be easily comprehended and acquired, the successful presentment of them is made possible at a minimum of expense. The greatest difficulty which formerly faced the amateur entertainer was the heavy cost of production, but even the most expensive form of amusement explained in the following chapters comes well within the modest “pocket-money bounds” of the average boy.

It is hoped that in “Home Fun” will be found much that is entirely new concerning subjects about which little or nothing has hitherto been written. Whereas the paths so well trodden by authorities on entertaining are here more or less passed over, excursions are made into equally fascinating by-ways, an acquaintance with the delights of which cannot fail to win success and widespread approval for the promoter of entertainments at home.

That those who follow the many chapters on subjects so amusing and diverse may obtain from them as great pleasure as he who has compiled them is the sincere wish of the author.

CECIL HENRY BULLIVANT.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE I. AMATEUR THEATRICALS 11 II. MYSTERIES OF MAKE-UP 26 III. THE QUICK-CHANGE ARTIST 34 IV. CHARACTER IMPERSONATIONS 41 V. THE UNIVERSAL HAT 50 VI. NIGGER MINSTRELSY 56 VII. SOME SUGGESTIONS IN BLACK 62 VIII. TABLEAUX VIVANTS 68 IX. CHARADES 76 X. THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE MUSICAL SKETCH 86 XI. VAMPING SIMPLIFIED 92 XII. AN EVENING AT THE PHONOGRAPH 97 XIII. MUSICAL GLASSES 101 XIV. HAND-BELL RINGING 105 XV. THE ART OF DRAWING-ROOM SINGING 111 XVI. DRAWING-ROOM RECITALS 116 XVII. THE ART OF WHISTLING 123 XVIII. BUNKUM ENTERTAINMENTS 127 XIX. VENTRILOQUISM IN A MONTH 140 XX. CONJURING FOR ALL 158 XXI. SOME KNOTTY POINTS 169 XXII. BLACK STAGE MYSTERIES 174 XXIII. CONCERNING GHOSTS 183 XXIV. SOME STAGE ILLUSIONS 189 XXV. THE ROOM OF MYSTERY 201 XXVI. MECHANICAL SECOND-SIGHT 211 XXVII. PAPERGRAPHY 220 XXVIII. JUGGLING 225 XXIX. PLATE-SPINNING AND WALTZING 233 XXX. THE TIGHT-ROPE 240 XXXI. CLOG DANCING 244 XXXII. SHADOW SHOWS 250 XXXIII. LIGHTNING CARTOONS AND “FAKE” SKETCHING 263 XXXIV. FRICTIONAL FUN 272 XXXV. SOME ELECTRICAL EFFECTS 285 XXXVI. SAFE SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS 297 XXXVII. SAFE CHEMICAL EXPERIMENTS 312 XXXVIII. ODD EXPERIMENTS 320 XXXIX. MORE EXPERIMENTS 329 XL. PHOTO PASTIMES 341 XLI. HOW TO MAKE AND WORK MARIONETTES 354 XLII. LIVING MARIONETTES 363 XLIII. THE HOME CIRCUS 367 XLIV. HOW TO MAKE AND WORK A PEEP-SHOW 378 XLV. THE “MECHANICAL” PEEP-SHOW 383 XLVI. HOW TO MAKE AND WORK A PUNCH AND JUDY SHOW 387 XLVII. DISSOLVING VIEWS 396 XLVIII. INDOOR FIREWORKS 400 XLIX. HOW TO MAKE A TELEPHONE 405 L. TELEGRAPHY AT HOME 410 LI. ELEMENTARY HYPNOTISM 416 LII. THE POWERS AND MYSTERIES OF CLAIRVOYANCE 426 LIII. TABLE-TURNING 434 LIV. PALMISTRY 437 LV. PHRENOLOGY 445 LVI. TELLING FORTUNES BY CARDS, DICE, DOMINOES, ETC. 452 LVII. GRAPHOLOGY 465 LVIII. A SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN’S PARTY 472 LIX. PARLOR GAMES 475 LX. PARLOR TRICKS AND PUZZLES 490 LXI. “HOW WOULD YOU----?” (PUZZLES) 510 LXII. SOME OPTICAL ILLUSIONS 519 LXIII. CIPHERS AND CRYPTOGRAMS 527 LXIV. SECRET SIGNS 533 LXV. GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS FOR THE BLIND 538 INDEX 545

HOME FUN