The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-11-19

MANIKIN SECTIONS SHAPED IN MoLDs.
After the tedious operation of puncturing
is done black color is rubbed all over the
cheeks and the chin, and then the surface
OF the face ,s wiped off with a dry cloth.
The paint that has gone into the little
holes in the face remains, and the effect,
even when you stand close to the figure,
is very fine.
Putting in the eyelashes is very diff.
cult and slow piece of work. The wax
at the eyelid Is very thin, as the edge has
been trimmed to sharpen the lid and do
away with any appearance of clumsiness.
Along both lids little holes very close tot
another are punched, and every hair hasi
to be carefully pushed in and poised SO.
as to give the whole row natural regu-s
larity. .. --.. ..-..s- -
The eyes used in the figures are about
the only things that have to be imported:
1t was found that the only eyes that;
could be got here were the substitutes:
for human ones that are occasionally;
used by oculists. AS this sort proved.
too expensive, an inferior but fully as
useful eye was brought from abroad.
They are made to order and come in sey.is
eral sizes. /.
Putting the hair in its place is one Of
the most interesting operations of the
clever French artists. The hair is pro-
cured in this country and is of all colors
and degrees of fneness and coarseness;
imaginable. Tradition having credited
some olden time ruler with a peculiar
kind of hair, the right sort of thing, III
notin stock, must be procured and imi-'
tated. .... &.
The "ciriers'" method Of applying the
hair so that it will stay is to clutch a.
bunch of it in one hand and small stick, i
in the end of which are three and some-
times four needles, in the other. The.
needles are pushed down into the. wax
through the bunch Of hair, and at each
insertion are sure to take some of the hair
ends down with them. Sometimes whent
the loose bunch is pulled away two hairs
stay and sometimes all four needles are
successful. With large bunch of hair
and incessant puncturing it is only q
matter of few hours work to cover a.
head with closely fitted crop of hair.
When this is done the wax head can be-
held up by its covering without any
danger of the hair coming out.
Puttinga sparse growth of hair on q
head that is supposed to be on the verge
of perfect badness is most delicate
work. The hairs have to be put farther
apart and the artist cannot work so fast.
The short stubby beard, supposed to be
the growth of about two weeks, is very
difficult to reproduce. These short hairs
have to be put in one by one, as the eye
lashes are, and there. is very little to
show for days work. The eyebrows of
most figures aie thick, and therefore easy.
to handle--comparatively.
The hands attached to wax figures are
in some respects the most perfect and re-
alistic features. They are really made
from life.
Another evidence of the care that ar
tistic feeling prompts the clever "cirier"
to take is the making of the fingernails
of his figures. Thin sheets or strips of
horn, very transparent and naillike are
cut out to fit the large or small fingers.
A small piece of the pink wax used to.
color the lips is put on each before it is
affixed to the finger end. When the nail
is in place the hand looks as though it.
could move, so lifelike has it become. !.
Most of the historical costumes which
drape the groups are made by little,
lady on the premises. They are beautiful
in quality and workmanship, and are put
together nearly as strongly as though:
they were to be worn about the streets
or on the stage. All these artists are
advocates of thoroughness and they
make their work fit for the closest in
spection.
1t is the modern costume that general
ly fails to adapt itself to the wax figure,
in spite of the fact that the manikins are
so carefully made as to initiate nature in
all its lines and poses. Yet the fact re-
mains that wax figure in an ordinary
suit of coat, vest and trousers presents a
queerness of appearance that is inezcus-