The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1884-01-31
THE TRADE IN PLASTER CASTS.
The Casts which Are in Most Popular
Demand-- Where Most OF the Or
ders Come from.
New York SUM-

New DIRK Sun.
''The trade i'll plaster casts sal manu-
facturer used to be mostly confined to
cheap images, which were carried
around upon board and peddlei from door
to door. To-day it is quite different
matter. Some catalogues contain from one
to five hundred figures, many OF them being
taken from the finest works of sculpture.
You can buy in New York to-day good casts
of almost any of the carved masterpieces in
European galleries. Yet only a few years
ago teachers found it difficult to get the few
works necessary for class instruction"
(Which are the most popular OF the larger
worksi Well, for hgure-drawing the Medicean
Venus and the Discobolus or quoit-thrower.
| In simple busts the Aiiadne and Clytle are
favorites Mosques Of the Jupiter of Phidias
and of tho various heads IF gods and god
desses are always in demand The schools
also buy wagon ksads Of old plaster feet,
hands and limbs, or other parts Of the human
Frame in all imaginable positions. My list
includes over 1000 casts of all kinds. Most
Of the great antique figures or toisos furnish
in three sizes, and all schools can afford to
have the smaller ones.
1.-The most popular things in my line for
libraries are portrait busts. Shakespeare,
Byron and Burns are most largely called for,
and, in antiques, 1Eschylus, Aristophanes and
Demosthenes, Country libraries send for
plaster heads of modern poets ami phlioso
piers The trade in busts Of modern states
mon has fallen OFT somewhat My Grant
molds are by no means overworked just now.
or recent writers, Dickens sells best; Of mod
ern generals, Napoleon. Debating clubs
run to Ciceros, Websters and Clays, and
medical societies to -ESculapius and Hippo
crates, but Galen has fallen off badly. For
Railways busts of the Caesars are in vogue.
Country social clubs want busts OF Raphael,
Michael Angelo, Shakespeare, Milton, Pope,
and Dryden. Here is an order from literary
club whose secretary wants four good, cele-
brated. literary busts large size, ut lowest
/ figures And there's an order from fat
mems club. They want Il good cast, not less
than three feet high, of the Three traces, for
centre-table Fauns and Bacchuses also go
well among the social clubs Political clubs
take to busts of Jefferson of late Wash
ington always sells well-on horseback or
OIL and so does Jackson. The German clubs
delight in busts of the great musicians
The most popular casts among cultivated
men! Well, in busts l should say the Young
Augustus has the call. Among the Nenuses
that of Melos is best liked. We sell very
large number of these They bring from
/ 81. 30 To $40, according to size. Some people
of taste prefer the Psyche of the Naples mu-
scum. In the way of male beauty notice a
great change in taste Cultivated people
used to prefer the Apollo to the Antinous.
Today sell dozen figures of the latter to
one of the former. The Mercury of John of
Bologna is very popular with almost all
Americans who care for statues. They like
it's grace and its action. The Fighting Gladl-
ator and Michael Angeles Wlestlers also sell
well nowadays. | have sold more of them
i'll the past two years than in the previous
ten years Of late | have sold many ex-
quisite casts from the friezes of the vatican.
They are largely used for interior decorative
purpOseS.