Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1893-12-08
UNCLE SANS DOLLS
QUEER aIANrxINS TURNED OUT
ATsTHE NATIONAL MUSEUM.
Masks In Plaster OF Living People
Lifc-hilsc Human Emgics of Tx
ceisior and Burlap-Dolls
of All Countries.
.HE head of Joseph Francis,
weird and ghostly, looked


fore no died. Close by was a similar
counterfeit presentment of the living
General Greedy, of Arctic fame. 1t is
a sort of likeness rather painfully
striking, inasmuch as it resembles in
oil essential respects death mask. AS
is the case with n death mask, the owes
are closed and expression is lacking.
However, it is n perfect reproduction
OF the features, save for slight dis.
tortion caused by the plaster, which
pulls down the eyclids and tho muscles
of the cheeks. Tho mask is, in fact, n
cast of tho entire hend, except that
what might be called the s'bottom" of
1T is left off to permit it to be taken off
whole.
The usual method in taking life
mask is to insert straws in tho nostrils,
while tho plaster is spread in soft
state over the head. But Theodore A.
Mills, tho sculptor, who made these
ilkenesses, prefers to leave off the
lower part of the nose, thus enabling
tho person to breathe moro comfort,
ably. Tho whole operation requires
only about fifteen minutes. It is easy
to add the bottom of the nose after
ward. Such masks ought to DO made
OF all great men while they nre living.
Thus their features might DO nccu-
rately preserved for all time. Abraham
Llncoln's denth mask has been a great
help to artists who have essayed to
produce statues and busts of tho mar
tyr President. But in tho last illness
tho face is apt to be much altered, in
contour of TEXTURES rs we'll as express
sion. The sculptor uses the mask
only MS model, with photograph to
help. He opens the eyes, relieves the
"drawn" effect caused by the plaster,
and the result is life-like itself.
Sculptor Mills, who does work for
the National Museum, sometimes
makes lay figures for TINT institution
by taking casts of different parts of
the body of n living man or woman
the arms, legs, hands, feet, etc. and
putting them together, thus reproduce
ing tho entire individual. This he did
with some of the manikins for the
Worlds Fair in Chicago, which were
to represent naked savages in the eth
biological exhibit. Tho Joints where
the pnrts met were filled in with putty
and painted over with the color of the
individuals complexion. The only
portion of tho body which cannot be
copied by casting is the abdomen, the
movements of which in breathing would
break tho hardening plaster. 1t is n
disadvantage to be near relative of n
sculptor, because he usually insists on
utilizing the anatomy of his family for
the purposes of his nrt
Most of the big dolls shown Mt the
museum, to illustrate the races ofman-
kind are clothed so That only the head
and hands need have the appearance of
flesh. In making ono of them the first
operation is to produce what is called
sketch" in clay-that is tosay n nude
tiguro in miniature, roughly done, in
the attitude desired for the mnnikin.
which is to be of full human size. Us.
ing this rs n guide, pieces of well-sea-
soned inch plank are sawed out for tho
trunk and legs. The legs are made nil
in one piece or jointcd, according MS
the figure is to stand, sit, knccl or lie
down. To the body section cross
piece is fastened for tho shoulders md
another for the hips. The four limbs
are attached by bolts or hinges. and
the shape of the trunk is formed bv
ribs of thick galvanized wire. Thus
is produced the skeleton.
Now burlap is stretched over the
ribs and on the outside of this LAYERS
of excelsior arc put on by sewing and
wrapping with Irvine. Over all is sewn
nm outer skin of bnrlap. The legs nrc
stuffed and wrapped in the same way.
the feet included 1t remains to pnt
on the head and hands. Tho former
is usually modelled by tho sculptor
from photograph of an individual of
The race to be represented. Tho lntter
are plaster casts of real hands. If the
arms are to be bare they are made of
plaster or papier machc, otherwise
they are of wood, padded rs above
described. The head, neck, handsand
any other exposed parts are painted
suitably to the complexion required.
Then the head is sent to wigmakcr
OF L street, who constructs for 1t the
proper kind of chevelure. Such
manikin will stand travel and handling
well, the plaster portions being packed
9OpniueO OuCe lluue, TO dress IL IL
easy enough. With photograph of
man or woman ofany Nation or tribe
aud complete costume, there is no
difficulty in turning out doll in
accurate likeness of the original.
The museum has great collection
of dolls of all Nations. Most interest
ing of them, perhaps, arc those of the
Eskimo. Some of them nre made out
of ivory and others of wood. One
curious specimen is from Point Barrow,
which is the most northerly point OF
Alaska. Its body is cut out of n piece
of driftwood plank and the dress is of
sealgut. Another is n trick doll,
which is made by string attachment
to twist its head from side to side.
These manikins afford An instructive
study, because they illustrate to per
lection the costumes of the people.
The garments are those of real folks
in miniature. Even the mother is
represented carrying her baby in
hood on her back. The dolls shoes
are of walrus hide, and all OF them are
clad with tha ilfpoct raoord TO-, l.oor