, 1884-04-05
MASKS AND
styles and Representations Tint Arc
Added to and Changed Yearly.

New York SUM-
The use Of masks for balls and various
social festivities" n dealer in masks and cos
TUNES said, "has steadily increased during
the past few years. Not many years ago it
was confined in this country TO a few Ger
man societies in large cities and towns. Now,
however, there is scarcely u village making
any protcnsions to modern social customs
which does not have one or more masquernle
balls during the winter season. Tho mnsquer-
AIDE ball season begins just after tho holidays
and is kept up the greater part Of 1.-THE winter.
Where do masks come front a fcw aru
made in this country, but the largest number
are imported from France and Germany.
The production is so cheap in those countries
that they have practically tha monopoly. for
even with n duty Of 45 per cent. addict no.
body in this country has ever been able 10
successfully compete with France and Ger
mnny i'm making masks. You see, there's no
money in them, and they can b, made
probably only where labor Is very cheap.
A tolsTably good mask Gun BE- bought for /
cent. To DO sure, spectators frequently buy
the privilege Of selling masks at balls, aud
charge MS high rs Is cents for an ordinary
paper mask, but the srme mask could b,
bought Of II dealer for % cents.
The making of a mask is not such Il simple
matter as it seems TO be. OF course, the
principal things used in it's construction are
ordinary paper and a p.aster Of Paris or com.
position mould. Inmeking half masks-thn
S, masks which simply cover the faco--the
labor is very small compared with the con
stiuction OF the full head masks, which cover
tho whole face and hsHd OF the nuafer, und
rest on the shoulders. The paper is placed
on the mould In layers until the require
thickness is attained. The moulds are made
by a class Of artists VINO make a speciality Of
This kNnFL ThAV Af. fNaNull3s Vanln frA..
photographs OF subjects. many OF which are
indicated by the dealer when he orders from
the manufacturer. The large full head
masks require n series of moulds, each form.
ing n part Of a subject, Whom all the parts
OF a mask are completed, they are joined to-
gcther in such a way hs to conceal the places
where the parts are Joined.
"Masks have not changed in general char.
actor for tho past fifty years. Each season
the variety is increased by tho representation
Of some character not shown before, usually
a car.cature Of some prominent person, or a
true likeness OF some foreign or American
notnbility, or some very odd or grotesquo
subject borrowed from the animal kingdom.
We have masks representing Pope Loo XIII,
Napoleon, Bismarck, Kaiser Wilhelm, tho
Crown Prince, Beocher, Ben Butler, Gen.
Grant, Blaine, Conkling, President Arthur,
Carl Schurz and others Among the newest
masks this season are those representing John
Kelly, Peter Cooper and Talmage. Tho gen.
ernl line consists OF masks representing old
women, young women, fat babies, the typical
Irish, Dutch, Yankee, negro and Chinese
characters, kings, queens, harlequins, ~cloSYns,
Santa Claus, etc. Then we have masks with
movable jaws, winking masks, masks repre-.
senting bears, wolves, monkeys, cats, dogs,
frogs, and almost every other kind of animal.
Many masks are made to order for the
wearers. A large demand for masks arises
from their use for amateur theatrical pur-
poses.n