The Secret Panel
By Herman L. Weber

Hocus Pocus! And what will you have? A new flower growth? A sensational duck vanish? A really mysterious production of a stack of bowls? A new appearing, exchanging or vanishing girl illusion? A bewildering production screen? These and many more are here for you in the Secret Panel.

A two-panel screen painted, say, red on two sides and green on the other two, is shown on all four sides to he solid and unprepared. Despite this a load of large proportions is concealed.

One glance at the drawing reveals all. There is a secret panel, without legs, that is hinged to, and hangs behind, the screen at all times. This panel supports a shelf for bowls, ducks or what you will. Opposite it on the right, the panel contains two secret doors, held flat by spring hinges. These doors open only one way so the inside back of the panel has a small moulding to hold them when they are rapped to prove their solidity.

The manipulation of the screen is simple and direct. The performer stands behind the screen, leans over and raps the front panels with wand or knuckles. The split panel is then brought to the back toward the performer and onto the other panel. It is knocked against the back of the other panel and that panel is opened out so that the other two sides are brought into view.

In reality, however, when the split panel slaps against the secret panel, its doors open to allow the load to pass through. Thus when the solid front panel is opened forward, the other side of the load panel which is flat and solid now faces the audience in place of the unseen section of the split panel.

The color contrast between the red front panels and the green back panels makes it apparent that the screen has been shown on all sides.