Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-10-19
sARDOU,s CURIOSITY sHop.
The French Playwright's collection
Of Costumes and accessories,


The playwriter who expressed an
opinion that Shakespeare was very
poor stage carpenter would find that
NJ. Victorien Sardou is complete in
every point. The popular author who
tickled the carping ideas of the Paris
ians with ''Rsbagas" and other plays
has sent his rich collection of stuiis,
arms, costumes, prints and engravings
to the central art union exhibition, now
being held in the palace de rIndustrie,
in the Champs Elysees. M. Sardoa,
says the London Glo6e, is not only all
excellent writer, but most careful
manager, anxious to produce every
possible eject on The stage, surround.
ing each detail with a mass of local
coloring. He compels those who pro-
duce his plays to provide themselves
with the costumes and accessories ap-
pertaining to the period lis pisce is in
tended to represent, anu be cannot
imagine that Hamlet haa ever been
played by gentleman in a red coat or
in evening dress. Everything must be
correct, and the writer has studied to
keep true to the different traditions.
Nay, more, report has it that the room
IN which he works contains lay figures,
which he can dress and equip, placing
some of his heroes and heroines proba,
bly, before him, talking to them rs he
writes, and lmaging the responses they
make IN the dialogue, He has the
costumes OF the Guelphs and the Ghibe.
lines whose undy ing hatred and zen.
delta were explained in ola Haine,"
which was produced some years ago at
the Gate, but Withdrawn at once as I'M
appreciated by Paris audience. The
period in which NJ. Sardou has been
most interested, according to the col
lection which he has caused to be
placed before the pubic, is that of the
first resolution and the directory, when
Barras and Mile. LANCE reigned SUI
preme, and Napoleon WAS a simple ar
ullery lieutenant never dreaming that
he could ever have aspired to the hand
of Josephine de Beauharnais, one of
the most courted leaders of fashion. In
Monsieur Carat" and in lies Mer-
veilleuses" he has placed his characters
on the stage in the costume of the
period. Every detail was precise and
exact, and the objections of the hyper
critic were invited in vain.
NJ: Sardou has copied the fashion
plates of the day, and has spen. hours
and hours pouring over the dusty
woodcuts and engravipls which are Of
fered for sale at the print shops on the
quays. The books.alls have been ex.
hausted, and the dealers who stand
along the parapet which borders the
Seine know M. Sardou as the most gen.
erous OF buyers when any old book de-
scrlbing the costumes of SO is for SALE
Everything relating to the manners and
customs of the period mentioned has
| been carefully collected by M. Sardou,
md his museum should enable anyone
to live over again those days when the
king had been guillotined, and society,
recovering from the reign of terror. was
endeavorlng to re0rganize itself. There
are views of the garden of the palace
royal, of the promenade IL the iardn
| turc, spoken of by Paul de kock as the
place where rendezvous were given, and
of the Sale de, Anciens, on the Terras-
see des Feuillants, showing the cos
TUNES worn by the Representatives of
the different corporations gathered to-
gether for the welfare of the nation. A
view OF the Champ de Mars represents
| the altar OF La Patrie, at the moment
when Lafayette, in the name Of all the
national guards Of France, premises to
remain faithful to king, country and
law. And the sketch shows the origin
| of the famous tete rationale of the 18th
of July. 1t is called the Bal de la Bas-
tile, and takes place on the spot whore
the ruins OF the prison still cucumber
the place. Soldiers, police, bourgeois
and worklngmen are merrily footing it
to the strains of a military band, cele-
brating the anniversary of the taking of
the bastille. There is levee held by a
member of the directory, petty king,
who makes people dance attendance
on him, reminding one of q visit to
Vile d'Avray or the Rue Saint Didier,
and there is the correct representation
of fete given at the ministry of war
by Gen. Berthier in honor of peace and
the affirmation Of the French republic.
M. Sardou has managed to secure the
exact costume worn on a certain occa-
sion by Nine. Recamier and he NAV
find an opportunity Of hiring it out or
selling it to some Of those ladies who
are so anxious to open political salon,
although men should meet there TO
mediate coup d'etat to put forward a
dictator or restore monarchy.