The Picture of London for 1802
The Farington Diary (1923)
In the early 1800s in No. 1 Leicester Square, a curiosity was on display for two shillings and sixpence. Called the Invisible Girl, the Invisible Lady or the Delphic Oracle, an optical illusion was presented complete with music and voices:
Leicester square; its associations and its worthies. (1874)
Here is description from Leicester square; its associations and its worthies:
And here is a more detailed account from the artist Joseph Farington who saw the exhibit in 1803:
“Four mouths of Trumpet shapes suspended from a framework to any of which persons place their ears and hear as from within a voice like that of a girl, which answers any question, describes your person and dress, sings, plays on a pianoforte, tells you what a clock it is…The voice spoke English, French and German.”
The voice seemed to emanate from all four trumpets, but seemed as if it came from a spirit because of its far away quality. India rubber tube, threaded through the standing frame pushed the sound beneath the floor to a woman hidden in adjoining room. A hole in the wall allowed her to peep at the audience and be able to describe them. The Shows of London (1978)
Appearing at different locations over the next several decades, the Invisible Girl was one of a dozen or more exhibitions that combined science and invention with the theatrical and mystical.
