Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Vampire mirror

A mirror which does not reflect you
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A mirror which tilts slightly upward, but whose shape and frame is such that it looks perfectly rectangular from the front, so that it would reflect a higher part of the wall or scenery opposite than it seems. Standing in front of it, you would actually be below the level it reflects. If the mirror was opposite a blank wall, the sky or something similarly homogenous, it would convey the illusion of invisibility to the viewer. This would work best in a shop window.
nineteenthly, Aug 08 2006

reminds me of this... http://www.youtube....watch?v=scb20VmLAgI
[po, Aug 08 2006]

phlish's idea Fake_20Mirror
Halfbaked by me. Ages ago. [dbmag9, Aug 08 2006]

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       Why would you expect to see yourself in such a mirror?
st3f, Aug 08 2006
  

       This seems a little optimistic to me. Surely any reasonably observant person would notice the angle at which the rest of the room, relative to where their head should be, was at?   

       I'm also wondering why you'd want to fool someone into thinking they're a vampire. But perhaps I just shouldn't think too deeply on it.
neuro, Aug 08 2006
  

       “Huh...either I’m a vampire, or I’m that fly on the ceiling.”
ldischler, Aug 08 2006
  

       If you get the chance to see it from very different angles then yes, it would be obvious what was going on, but if you walked past a shop with a row of normal mirrors with one of these in the middle then there would be a series of reflections of you followed by no reflection, followed by more reflections, with the result that it would attract attention to the shop, and perhaps persuade you to go in. Similarly with an art installation: reflections of the observer followed by no reflection, in a sort of Magritte style.
nineteenthly, Aug 08 2006
  

       //and perhaps persuade you to go in//
So you see yourself, and then you don't see yourself, and you wonder, did I already go in? So you go in to check.
ldischler, Aug 08 2006
  

       yes, but I am the invisible man...what's this talk about vampires?
xandram, Aug 08 2006
  

       Well, if the rooms were quite bare, yes. This happens in bars sometimes when one is impaired.
nineteenthly, Aug 08 2006
  

       If one built an exact opposite room, but did put you in it, then you would be inpaired.
bungston, Aug 08 2006
  

       Sorry phlish, I already halfbaked that one.
dbmag9, Aug 08 2006
  

       take a picture of the area that you want the mirror to reflect, and blow it up. then mount it behind a pane of glass and pretend it's a mirror.
tcarson, Aug 09 2006
  

       Needs a disclaimer.
Something like: (objects in mirror are way more there than they appear)
  

       I like this, but it does depend very heavily on context; it would have to be part of some larger set-up which would, as it were, massage the viewer's expectations.
pertinax, Aug 09 2006
  

       I was thinking a piece of plastic with the reflection painted onto it.
jellydoughnut, Aug 09 2006
  

       If you went with dbmag9/phlish's idea, you could pay a mime-artist to twat about behind it, pretending to be the visitor. Bugs bunny was good at this, if I recall.
Loris, Aug 09 2006
  

       Maybe the whole world is Count Dracula's lucid dream.
nineteenthly, Aug 09 2006
  

       Makes you wonder how Count Dracula got that part in his hair so straight ...
MoreCowbell, Aug 09 2006
  

       It might explain why it was in the middle.
nineteenthly, Aug 09 2006
  

       I think this could be cool in a bar with shelving built around it, so that no one really notices the angle.   

       Well, with shelving or cabinets built around it to hide the angles it would be nice in a lot of places. I would put it behind a reception desk in a spa where the view across from it would be large windows that overlook a garden. It would definately make a small area look bigger if used in that way.   

       ;)
tallbrownie, Aug 09 2006
  

       Tcarson said "take a picture of the area that you want the mirror to reflect, and blow it up. then mount it behind a pane of glass and pretend it's a mirror."   

       Tcarson. Brilliant idea! I've always wondered how to make a mirror with no reflection! It's so simple. Why didn't I think of that!
EdisonsTwin, Aug 10 2006
  


 

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