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Shadowgraphy or ombromanie is the art of performing a story or show using images made by hand shadows. It can be called "cinema in silhouette". Performers are titled as a shadowgraphist or shadowgrapher. The art has declined since the late 19th century when electricity became available to homes because light bulbs and electric lamps do not give off good shadows and because cinema and television were becoming a new form of entertainment. Shadows are greatly defined by candlelight; therefore hand shadows were common in earlier centuries. The modern art of hand shadows was made popular by the French entertainer Félicien Trewey in the 19th century. He popularized the art by making silhouettes of famous personalities.


History

Shadows have existed since the existence of objects obstructing light, so it is hard to say when the art was first used by humans for entertainment. It could have been practiced by ancient or later humans, but it probably originated in the
Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The ter ...
.The Art of Hand Shadows by Albert Almoznino The French entertainer Félicien Trewey was interested in the art of Chinese
shadow puppet Shadow play, also known as shadow puppetry, is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment which uses flat articulated cut-out figures (shadow puppets) which are held between a source of light and a translucent screen or scrim. The cut-out ...
ry called Ombres Chinoises, which means "Chinese shadows". He popularized the art of hand shadows when he developed shadows of famous silhouettes. It then became popular in
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
in the 19th century. Although the art is popular amongst different kinds of entertainers it seems prominent amongst magicians, because it was popularized by a magician who inspired many other magicians. Félicien Trewey perfected the widely known elephant, bird, and cat hand shadows and created some of his own such as The Volunteer,
Robinson Crusoe ''Robinson Crusoe'' () is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a tra ...
, The Jockey, The Rope Dancer and more. In 1889, Trewey joined with
Alexander Herrmann Alexander Herrmann (February 10, 1844 – December 17, 1896) was a French magic (illusion), magician, better known as Herrmann the Great. He was married to magician Adelaide Herrmann, known as the Queen of Magic. Biography Early years Alexande ...
who most likely learned it from him. David Tobias Bamberg most likely learned it from Alexander who then passed it down to his son Okito (Tobias Leendert Bamberg) who then passed it down to ''his'' son
Fu Manchu Dr. Fu Manchu () is a supervillain who was introduced in a series of novels by the English author Sax Rohmer beginning shortly before World War I and continuing for another forty years. The character featured in cinema, television, radio, com ...
(David Theodore Bamberg). Fu Manchu passed his skill to Marcelo Contento, one of his apprentices, who became famous worldwide for it. Contento died before he could pass it on to his son. Other magicians who used hand shadows in their act include David Devant, Edward Victor, and the duo Holden and Graham in which Holden was famous for his "Monkey in the Belfry" shadow.


Performance

The hands and fingers are exercised and different finger positions are practiced to help aid in forming shadows. The light source to be used should be small and bright. The best shadows come from light proceeding from the smallest possible point. Albert Almoznino suggests a candle, a flashlight (with the lens and reflector removed) or any very small light. If a bulb is used, it should be clear. J. C. Cannell suggests in his book, ''Modern Conjuring For Amateurs'', that the best source of light is the
electric arc An electric arc, or arc discharge, is an electrical breakdown of a gas that produces a prolonged electrical discharge. The current through a normally nonconductive medium such as air produces a plasma; the plasma may produce visible light. An ...
, which Almoznino agrees to the small arc lamp, and the second best being the limelight (if used with a high-class jet). Trewey suggests the chalk for the limelight to be cut in a triangular form, or else it will produce a gray border around the shadow. Cannell states another favorite amongst shadowgraphists is the use of
acetylene gas Acetylene (systematic name: ethyne) is the chemical compound with the formula and structure . It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in its pure f ...
(i.e. acetylene gas lamp or
carbide lamp Carbide lamps, or acetylene gas lamps, are simple lamps that produce and burn acetylene (C2H2) which is created by the reaction of calcium carbide (CaC2) with water (H2O). Acetylene gas lamps were used to illuminate buildings, as lighthouse b ...
). Nowadays it is possible to use a single lensless (for example, SMD) LED. Albert Almoznino suggests to use a white or light-colored wall, sheet or table cloth for a small audience as in a private home. If a wall is dark-colored, the sheet or table cloth can be hung against it. If performing for a large audience such as in an auditorium or on a stage, he suggests a screen made of
muslin Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured. Muslin of uncommonly delicate hands ...
or other thin cloth attached to a frame. In a nightclub, hall or small theater, he suggests a nylon screen on a pliable aluminum frame. It is a screen sometimes used for TV projection called a
rear projection screen A video projector is an image projector that receives a video signalling (telecommunication), signal and projects the corresponding image on a projection screen using a lens (optics), lens system. Video projectors use a very bright ultra-high-per ...
, but the light must be stronger like a small spotlight without the projector, lenses, or diffusers, or a motion-picture projector with the front lenses removed. The performer sits or stands between the light source and the blank surface, while having the option to perform in front of the performance surface or behind it, with each having different advantages. The performer has another option to perform from the left or the right of the light source. The farther the hands are from the light, the smaller the shadows will be, while the closer the hands are to the light, the larger the shadows will be. Also, the closer the hands are to the blank surface, the sharper the shadows will be. Trewey suggests that the most convenient distance for the light from the hands is four feet while the hands from the performance surface should be about six feet. The performer should always watch their shadows instead of their hands. Movement helps give the shadows character and brings them to life. Some shadows are performed with accessories attached to the hands or fingers to achieve movements or images not applicable to hands alone.


Notable shadowgraphers

*
Prahlad Acharya Prahlad Acharya (born 1973) is a magician, illusionist, escapologist, and stunt performer from Udupi, Karnataka, India. Known for his escape acts, Prahlad has been termed ''Indian Houdini'' by the Indian media. He also performs ventriloquis ...
*
Albert Almoznino Albert Almoznino ( he, אלברט אלמוזנינו; March 3, 1923 – April 7, 2020) was an Israeli hand shadow artist. He gained international recognition in the years 1958-1975 when he performed his hand shadow skills in front of thousands of ...
*
David Bamberg David Tobias "Theodore" Bamberg (aka Fu Manchu) (19 February 190419 August 1974) was an itinerant magician who traveled with his full evening magic show from the early to mid part of the 20th century. In Bamberg's autobiography, Robert Parrish wr ...
*
Tobias Bamberg Tobias "Theo" Leendert Bamberg (1875–1963) was a professional magician. Born in the Netherlands, Bamberg performed under the name ''Okito'' which is an anagram of Tokio (Tokyo). His father had been court magician to King William III of the Ne ...
*
Arturo Brachetti Arturo Brachetti (; born 13 October 1957) is an Italian quick-change artist considered the best quick change performer in the world. In the Guinness Book of Records he is described as the quickest and most prolific quick change artist in the wo ...
*
Raymond Crowe Raymond Crowe is an Australian entertainer. Originally from Adelaide, Crowe brands himself as "Australia's only Unusualist". His act includes mime, ventriloquism, stage magic, and shadow play using only his hands and arms. His shadow play video ...
* Max Holden * Félicien Trewey * Edward Victor


Books

* ''Hand Shadows to be Thrown Upon the Wall'' by Henry Bursill (1859) * ''Hand Shadows - Second Series'' by Henry Bursill (1860) * ''Home Fun'' by Cecil H. Bullivant (1910)--contains a chapter on Hand Shadows * ''The Art of Shadowgraphy - How it is Done'' by Trewey (1920) * ''Hand Shadows: The Complete Art of Shadowgraphy'' by Lois Nikola (1921) * '' The Art of Hand Shadows'' by Albert Almoznino (1970) * ''Shadowplay'' by
George Mendoza George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Preside ...
and
Prasanna Rao Prasanna may refer to: People As sole name * Prasanna (actor) (Prasanna Venkatesan, active from 2001), Indian film actor * Prasanna (theatre director) (born 1951), Indian theatre director and playwright * V. V. Prasanna, a Tamil playback singer ...
(1974)


References


External links


The Art of Shadowgraphy: How it is Done by Trewey online book

Modern Conjuring For Amateurs by J. C. Cannell page 234 (Hand Shadows) online book

The Art of Hand Shadows by Albert Almoznino online book



LOop Paper Toys/ A series of DEMO videos about Shadowgraphy made by Ludwig Caballero.
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