The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-09-16
IN THE DOLL FACTORY.
Curiosities of Business Which Seeks to
Please Babies.

There is much that may be seen by a
visit to doll factory that would have
for many people the force of revela-
ton. Few probably realize what num-
Der of processes are necessary before
en- the tiniest of dolls is ready for the
nursery. There is certainly bewilder-
ing number of suitable substances. Be-
side the various kinds of wax, from the
best English to the common foreign
sorts, there are spermaceti and various
kinds of compositions; india rubber,
gutta percha, wood and rags, not to
mention various judicious combinations
of these and other materials. But the
best dolls are made only of the best En-
glish wax. Then come the composition
dolls, which are much more durable
and some of which have their faces pro-
tected by a thin piece of muslin, and so
on through the whole list. 1t is, how
ever, the waxen dolls that appeal most
powerfully to the affections and the ad-
miration of the girls of England.
The construction of the molds in
which these are now made involves
some knowledge of modelling. The
molds are made of plaster of paris, the
various sections being deity joined to-
gether with such nicely as to leave but
few marks of the joints. Into this the
melted wax is poured while still very
hot, and thin film Immediately ad
heres to the sides of the mold, which is
quickly inverted, in order that the molt-
en- wax in the center may flow out But
although this rough mask is fairly COM
plete in point OF outline much remains
to be done before it can be regarded as
possessing those charms which are COM
monty believed to be doll S rightful in
heritance. The roughnesses have to be
smoothed down, a distinctive character
has to be given to the mouth and nose,
the eyebrows have to be delicately PEN
cled in; and we may well cease to won
der that Shakspeare's lover should have
written an ode ito his mistress eye
brow" when we see the wonderful eff
feet produced on dolls face by various
arrangements of brow and lash. Then
the eyes, which are like beautiful shells,
although they can be bought by the
gross of any color and size, have to be
fixed in, which is done by plastering
them at the back with little soft wax.
The method of fastening the hair so as
to give it a natural appearance is one
of the best tests of the case with which
doll has been made. In the best dolls
almost every strand is attached sepa-
rately to the wax itself, while in the
cheaper kinds wig is roughly stuck on
the dolls head. This is very import
ant point, which doll-worshipers will
properly appreciate, for is not the most
delightful part of the dolls daily toilet
the brushing and combing of the hair?
Then there are many qualities of hair,
from the best mohair to common flax.
We have said little about the tinting
of lips and cheeks, processes which in
volVe nice appreciation of effect. So
far doll fanciers seem to believers in
| the ruddy hue of health, for we have
never yet seen an interesting" doll
with cheeks of the color of under-done
| pastry. But 1t would be rash TO specu-
late upon the future, for the new science
of taste may yet influence even the
nursery and the doll trade.-CasseIps
Family Magdzi12e.