The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-12-06
now WAX rlcceRs" ARE MADE.
An Interesting Sight In State Street.
Building.

An Interesting Sight In State Street
Building.
A smiling young lady seated at
piano in large show window on State
street attracted crowds last week. She
was pretty enough to catch the mascu-
line eye and sufficiently we'll dressed to
hold the feminine critics. But. despite
the constant scrutiny OF the ever
changing crowd. the young lady never
altered her position. The smile that
parted her lips did not change; her
fingers, raised an inch above the piano,
never struck them once-all for the
best of reasons. She wasn't real
Young lady-though she looked it es-
pecially in the gaslight-but only
wax one. A young man curious to
know something of the method of her
construction climbed up to the top
story of the Eden Musee in company
with the superintendent, emerging into
a small room in the rear of the build
ing. Two or three men were at work,
one stirring steaming mixture in an
iron pot over an oil stove, another
daubing plaster over mold. Head
less corpses were everywhere. They
aud in corners. Ia small ante-room
a whole collection was piled up. The
limbs of some were contorted and bent
as though in awful agony. The active
young superintendent opened boxes
and cupboards aud drew out heads of
men and women, old and young, beau
tiful and ugly, some without eyes or
hair. others looking startlingly real.
From another set of drawers he pulled
dozens of hands and laid them beside
the sileads.
.sThere," said he, ''are all the parts
of an image which are made out of
wax There is. no such thing as a wax
figure. The figures-the. torsos-are
made ont of papier mache. A wax
torso even when it is lined with an
iron framework does not give satis-
factory effect. The process of making
the papier mache bodies is precisely
that of the heads aud hands,"
"And what is thatP'
"a work that requires seven persons
to complete. The first step is to make
miniature model in clay of the figure
or group that is to be represented
From it we get some idea OF the effect.
When all details are decided upon the
sculptor models the figure Iifesize in
clay, the same as would be done if il
were to be chiseled in marble or cast
insbronze. the hands are omitted.
T hey are modelled from life always
Next the molder prepares plaster
paris cast in sections from the model
and into this the wax is poured by the
wax-worker. If the result does not
satisfy the sculptor the head is rcmelt
ed. No attempt is ever made to change
head. The mold is simply broker
up and new model made. The head
goes next to woman, who inserts the
hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, and beard.
A little instrument with two or three
sharp needle points is used for this
She works rapidly, more so than any
of the others. The sculptor, after the
glass eyes are put into the socket, ther
takes the head and finishes it. 1T
color is pale pink. and he gives it tht
hue of the human face and by various
means makes its surface look like skin
Meanwhile. the costnmer has been al
work dressing the torso and the ear
penter fixing it upon a pedestal. The
head and hands are joined to it and il
is ready for exhibition"
sHow long does all this take?"
at depends upon the sculptor en-
tirely. Figures nowadays are most.
" portraits, and in modelin ng one
especially of contemporary individ
ual, the sculptor is likely to make hal
a dozen models before the correct one
is hit. The figure of Thurman, for in
stance, required great deal of pre-
1iminary study. The sculptor had tt
see him several times, to observe mos
closely various details, such as the ex
preston of his face in varying moods
the size of his head, color of his eyes
can any man tell the color of his
nearest friends eyes?-the way hi.
hair was arranged, his weight, car
riage, etc. Little details, such as tn.
ear, occupy the artist day sometimes
He cannot be hurried. Sometimes tw,
weeks is required to model single fig
ure. No, sculptors rarely model diree
from life, except in the case of tn
hands, although instances are knewl
of their having done SO. They prefe
a photograph and rely upon. thei
memories for details in making head
But they always mold hands from life
No artist in the world can exactly rep
resent that wonderful human member
with all its thousand lines, creases. an
its expressions-for the hands hav
expressions. Figures cost as high a
$500. The hair on the head of til
figure of Mrs. Langtry cost $75. Hal
islalways an important aud expensiy
item. So is the costume. Chicag
Tribune.