Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1894-04-21
UNCLE SANS PET DOLLS.
PLASTER CASTS OE EGIEE Mt MEN
n: THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.
How Life Masks Are Made-Scuipfor
Mills and His Homemade Indians
The Eskimo Dolls.

Htiih dAh SIostSN 1CDAC' |
down from a shelf in an out
. of-the-way corner Of the Ma
tional Museum. II was a mask in
plaster, taken from the aged inventor
Of lIteSoa.s 2 few weeks before he died.
Close by VAS n similar counterfeit pee
sentiment Of the living General Greedy, !
Of Arctic fame. 1t IS a sort at like
ness rather painfully striking, mas
much Rs II resembles IN all essential
respects 2 death mask. As IN the case
with a death mask. tine eyes are closed
and expression Is lacninc. However.
it Is n perfect reproduction % the
features. save for q slight distortion
caused by the plaster, which pulls
down the eyeliis AMI the muscles OF
the checks. The mask Is in fact cast |
of the entire head, except that what
might he called the "hottom' az It Is
left of to permit j, to- be taken OF.
who'll.
TIL usual method Of taking a life
mash y - insert straws i'll the uostrils
while the plaster IL spread III a sol.
state over the heal. But 1hoalore \.
Mills, the sculptor who made these
likeucseoS, prefers to leave off the
lower part Of the nose. thus enabling
the ncrson to breathe more more com
fartably. The whole operation re-
Guires only about fifteen minutes. 1t
Is easy to add the bottom Of the nose
afterward. Such masks ought to be
made OF all great men while they are
living. Thus their features might be
accurately preserved for all time. But
in the last illness the face Is apt to be
much altered, III contour Of feature as
well as expression. The sculptor uses
the mask only as a model, with a photo
graph to help. He opens the ewes,
relieves the drawn effect caused by
the plaster, and the result is like life
| itself.
Sculptor Mills, who does work FOR
the National Museum, sometime,
makes lay figures for that institution
by baking casts Of different parts ot
the body of & living man Y woman
the arms, legs, hands, feet. etc. and
putting them together, thus repro
ducing the entire individual. This he
did with some Of the manikins for the
| NOlltt . dlI III AIllchHo, Nlicu we're
! to represent savages III the ethnolosi-
cal exhibit. The Joints where the
parts met we're filed in with putty
and painted over with the color OF the
individuals complexion. The only
portion of the body which cannot be
copied by casting is the abdomen, the
movements of which III breathing
would break the hardening plaster. 1t
is u disadvantage to be q near relative
of g sculptor, because he usually in
sists on utilizing the anatomy Of his
family for the purposes OF his art.
Most of the big dolls shown a: the
museum to illustrate the races OF man
kind are clothed SO that onlv the head
and hands need have the appearance
of flesh. In making one Of them the
first operation Is 10 produce what is
called II sketch in clav-that is TO say.
a nude figure In miniature, roughi:
done, in the attitude desired for the
manikin. which is to be Of full human
size. Using this as q guide pieces Of
well-seasoned inch plank are sawn out
for the trunk and legs. The legs are
made all IN one piece, or jointed, a.
cording as the figure is to stand, sit,
knecl or lie down. To the body sec-
ton a cross piece Is fastened for the
shoulders and another for the hips.
The four limbs are attached by bolts
or hinges, end 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 are put Oh by sewing and
wrapping with Irvine. Over all Is sewn
an outer skin Of burlap. The legs are
stuffed and wrapped III the same way,
the feet included It remains to put
on the head anL hsnds. The former
Is usually modelled by the sculptor
from q photograph OF an individual Of
the race TO be represented. The latter
are plaster casts ofreal hands. II the
arms are TO be bare they are made Of
plaster or papier mache; otherwise
they are made OF wood. padded as
above described. The head. meek.
hands and any other exposed parts
are painted suitably 70 the complexion
required. Then the head l. sent to q
wig maker on T street. whe constructs
for II the proper kind o. cnevalure.
Such q manlkiu viii stand travel and
handling we'll. the plaster portions be
ing packed separately. Once made, to
dress 1t Is easy enough. With 2 pho
tograph OF a men or woman % anv
nation or tribe ana @ complete COS
turne there is no difficulty III turning
ont a doll III accurate likeness OF the
origlusl.
The~tahing OF the casts OF the sort
referred IL requires 40 l,,tle skill.
Suppose, 10: example, that q ham, Is
10 be reproduced. The -irst thing
necessary Is II carefully oil the skin
all over u order 70 lav down the hairs
on the surfsce. II this U4-e not done
the HAIRS would catch IN the master
and the removal % the latter would be
painful Next the plaster IS sp-ead
over TIE hand When parity dry j, j:
cut 50 shat 1T NAV be removed. 4.
" - -.4 T-- -