Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-05-28
ORNAMENTS OF SUGAR.
ARTISTIC CREATIONS MADE FOR
NEW YORK eANQUETS.

| Show Pieces Containing Thousands OF
Parts and Figures of Well known Per.
sonages-Oil Painting With sugar-Ar.
lists at Work-Unique Designs.
Among the queer trades in this grea,
city that of making more or less edible
show pieces for banquet tables is one of the
most artistic variety.
At very many corporation dinners it has
become somewhat the custom to have a
large table ornament which will from its
form or detail suggest the particular sort
of enterprise in which the promoters of the
dinner are Interested A great many OF
these fancy pieces are constructed from
sugar paste and others from nougat, a
candy paste literally besprinkled with
fragments of nut kernels.
The amount of labor put upon some OF
these art works might be considered wasted
when you consider how perishable they
are, and the artistic quality of the work
gives an idea of great expense, because you
naturally conclude that such excellent
handiwork must come high
A young Frenchman employed in one OF
our local restaurants is clever exponent
of this branch of sugar architecture, and
he Is kept busy nearly all the year round
for banquet purposes alone.
Like most men who have achieved sue
cess in the lines of artistic manufacture,
this young artist, whose name is Dennie-
vile, was compelled to serve a long and
arduous apprenticeship. Starting at the
age of fourteen he worked as a helper for
a well known German artist, whose creac
tions in sugar and gum paste few years
ago were considered marvels. Six years
ago the old gentleman retired on his lau
rels, and his young assistant, by assiduous
study in the meantime in drawing and
modelling classes, was able at the early age
of seventeen to take his instructors place
According to Mr.. Dennieville there is
nothing in the figure or flower line that
cannot be reproduced in sugar by clever
worker.
CAPABILITIES OF PULLED SUGAR.
The best material for flowers and Gre
ations of delicate outline is what the artist
calls pulled" sugar. To make clear white
pulled sugar he melts down the finest
brand of loaf sugar, and mixing the mass
when just hardening with little clear
strip, he works it after the manner of the
man we occasionally see pulling long strips
of soft candy in uptown confectioners
windows
From this mass before it gets cooled he
shapes his leaves and petals and sticks
them together in natural flower form as
he goes along. Where the flowers have
body color, vegetable colors are mixed in
the boiling sugar. When the flower is one
that needs but tinge of color it is put on
with brush
One of the most artistic creations in this
line was made for exhibition at French
ball held in 1888 The body of the design
was made of nougat, and represented 8
wheelbarrow three feet long Inside the
wheelbarrow was an artistic heap of Gala
lilies and roses, of natural size and perfect
form and color. These flowers, leaf, branch
and blossom, were made of the best quality
of pulled sugar
A material called composition paste is
used for figure pieces. The paste is made
of gum tragcanth, marble dust and corr
starch. This product can be given finish
so near like that of highly polished porce-
lain as to deceive the average observer.
When Augustin DAILY banqueted Henry
Irving in 1888, he ordered five figures OF
Mr.. Irving in as many different costumes.
These figures were each eighteen inches
high, and they attracted great deal of at,
tention on account of their artistic fidelity
to life.
At banquet given Mr. Edwin Booth by
Mr.. DAILY in the year following, five figures
of the tragedian were exhibited, uniform
in size with those of Mr.. Irving
WHAT GUM PASTE CAN DO.
Two OF the best examples of figure group
work that have been produced in sugar
were made for the chamber of commerce
banquet in 1885,
These groups were made of what is called
gum paste. This is combination of gum
sugar and corn starch. In this material
the sugar replaces the marble dust used in
composition paste. The two pieces were
So feet high each The modelling was per.
feet, and their preparation took about fon
weeks time The groups were afterward
secured as trophies by Individual members
of the organization.
A very large table piece made of gum
paste was shown at the chamber of com
MERGE dinner on Nov. 10, 1889. This piece
was six and half feet high Its make uI
called for over thirteen thousand pieces OF
sugar paste, and the artist worked steadily
at it for six weeks. 1t cost the chamber OF
commerce people about $500. This was
probably the finest table piece ever shown
at a banquet in this city.
the many interesting show pieces were rep
RESERVATIONS of picture frames with relief
flowers in the center One group was a
cluster of wild roses and leaves, perfect in
form and arrangement. The second frame
contained a wild mass of very natural
looking apple blossoms.
OIL PAINTING IN CANDY.
1t might seem odd that any one should
candy tn bo hoe *
for an oil painting, but this very thing was
done for the sake of novelty and the piece
was exhibited with others at large gath.
ering of banqueters. The picture frame
was three feet long and two feet high
This part of the work was made with gum
paste and afterward gilded The ornamen.
tations were modelled in the approved
picture frame style. In the opening the
artist created landscape of sugar paste in
relief.
Although this part of the work might
have been made in natural colors, it was
considered that the design might be more
realistic if painted in oils. There was
enough of the sugar surface left in places
to prove the real foundation of the design
The effect produced by the combination
was very fine, and the piece shows the in
finite resources open to the artistic candy
maker.
A piece called the 1.-TWO Knickerbock- !
ers" represents the old and new style OF
New York dress. The old time Knicker- |
booker was shown in an attitude suggest !
ing that he has just taken pinch of snuf; !
and is getting ready to sneeze. He stands |
beside table, leaning upon cane held in
his right hand. The modern Knicker- !
booker is not quite so graceful in form. !
He is attired in dress suit and high hat, |
and his side whiskers suggest the English
lo, - A