Chapter I: Front Matter

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.

COPYRIGHT, 1910, BY
DODGE PUBLISHING COMPANY

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