, 1885-08-27
ARrlsrlc woRkeRs N 80.


A Man Who BrinEs Famous People Baol
to Life a Peep at Hi- ben.
|Chisag, Herald
In a dingy little back room on the top
floor of a nndolph street building is y
curious den that IS generally kept locked.
A glimpse through the half open doDI
showed = slh, ling array of dismem
acrcd legs and arms, of severed feet aud
hands. with an occasional trunk.
less head lccring with wide open eyes at
the intcrlopcr Ii is the lair of u we'll
known maker Of the wax siatuary for
mus Sums. aud is a curious studio. ,pon
the WORK table are scattered pieces OF
human bodies done In n plaster casts,
apcr mods and the icy glare Of an oc
%cnsiunal gla 5 eye sends a chill down the
spinal column Of u sensitive spectator.
I he making of was s~tntuary is a coln-
parHtlVcly new industry in this country.
and there are but few artists in that line
here To make II wax figure n model
is first made of potters' clay and
after 1t has been completed u plaster OF
arts cast j. taken. into which the melted
WAX IS poured completely hllfng the cast
Tho waS next 10 the cast hardens first,
and then the center mass Is poured of,
leaving the wnxwork a hollow shell. The
cast has to be flled up with tho wax in
order to prevent cracks or creases On The
surface. After the figure has become
cool It is carefully smoothed of and
touched up by the artist, his tools being
very light and delicate wooden scra crs
and a little knife made Of a small clock
spring. -
Arc wax wax figures expensiyoar the
anxious inquirer asked of the artist
Fairly so. was the response One
firm will not make a figure OF any kind
for less than 500. Tho wax is the purest
beeswax. and costs 60 cents a pound In
making u l~ifc-sike head use about
eighteen pounds of wax; that is. | have
10 melt up abortth that much, but Of course
there is II good deal can be poured back
from the cast. II tool $50 pounds 10
make that figure Of the race and such
a work would cost $500. Most Of the wax
heads and busts IN hairdressersi windows
turn yellow with age. That because
the figure is finished and then colOred |
mix my colors in tho wax when I melt
il, and time never changes its appear
nee. "
How do you fS up the hair again
propounded the interrogator.
If the hair is 10 be very heavy | use
a wig. II not l put it in with Il needle
while the wax 4. sin no, Glass eyes
are easily supplied ana it is remarkable
what a wonderful resemblance TO life we
can produce "
1t is an interesting sight to watch the
artist at work on the head Of some
amous man. Before him stands n photo
graph Of his sub ect. With magnifying
glass in hand he pores over each feature.
working at the plastic clay all the time
l.nder his magic touch tho clay grows
into n perfect likeness OF its prototype.
until every feature stands boldly out.
The making OF the model is tire hardest
part of the work, To complete the
model of any prominent person requires
from four to six days. with two sittiugs
of two or three hours each day after
that the work can be finished in short or
der. The bodies of most Of the large
figures. where clothing or drapery is to
be used, are made of heav paper mods.
making them much ligh' or tina WAY and
nj The anmn iimn mnnh mnrn hnrnhln