Milford chronicle., 1895-05-31
A WAX FIGURE MILL.
TIE PLACE WHERE mutations OF
THE HUMAN FORM ARE MADE.

THE HUMAN FORM ARE MADE.
Fashioned IN clay From Living Models
Figures Used For Displaying Articles o
Wearing Appafci-The Beautiful Fencei
Needed &c worth Of Repairs.
"Come down here, Sweet Marie, and
let me unlace you. A customer in one
Of the Sixth avenue shops was startled
by the above remark, ard turning saw
one of the clerks removing a dainty
black corset from the wax bust that
stands all day in the shop window look
ing out az the passengers ON the elevat-
ed road.
The clerk explained that she and the
other girls ia that department had given
names to each Of these waxen figures
"Jhey seem almost alive to us, said
she.
Most Of tho wax figures used for this
purpose arc no longer imported, but are
made in this city The manufacturer
has his worlrooms in Canal street.
A reporter who visited the place Mt
first fancied he had entered the dressing
room Of some living pictures. Directly
opposite the door sat a figure clothed
only in n suit Of woven underwear and
a pair Of high heeled slippers. In far
corner sat another figure clad in black
tights. There were several other figures
in wax standing about the room, but the
long lashes never quivered over the
bright eyes, nor did the smiling lips re-
lax, nor the pink flush ON the cheeks
deepen at the coming Of q stranger in
their midst.
The proprietor gave an interesting &C
count Of how wax figure is born into
the world, be it an Indian warrior or
society belle wearing q riding habit and
seated On a horses back. He has made
over 500 wax models in eight years He
says that beautiful arm IS about the
most difficult thing to find in a model
There was a dimpled wax one, with a
tiny, flowerlike hand, fastened to one Of
the ladies in tights. 1t was not nodded
from the cast Of a professional models
arm, but from that Of n girl who worked
up stairs. When she found she had an
arm that could earn more money from |
in work, she went away to become a .
model as to arms. But this
artist in wax has six models Of the per
feet arm, so it isn't likely that his
waxen women will ever be "Venus de
Alilos.
In making wax figure the pose Of
the living model is first arranged Then
a clay model is made from the living
one. Over the clay model is formed the
plaster cast. When this is hard, the
melted wax, which has previously been
colored the desired flesh tint, is poured
IN and left to harden to a certain thick
ness. Then the superhuOus wax, which
has not yet cooled, is poured out, and
he proper thickness is given to the plas-
er cast shaped like the living model
The hair is put ON one hair at a time,
md with due regard to the way it should ,
Tow. This work is done by five young
women. The delicate work OF melting
he wax out Of the eye sockets and from
the lips, tinting the lips and
heezs ard fastening in the eyes and
eeth is left for the artist The eyes used
re much like those in a wax doll, but
he teeth are as natural as the dentists
kill can make them.
When a figure is ordered to advertise
corset, the model must lace herself in %
ne Of the corsets to be advertised as
Chilly rs women pictured in a fashion 4
aper 1t is therefore necessary that the -
lodel shall be built ON different lines
ON those who usually pose for paint :;
$. The price of a life size figure is from !,
100 to 5000. For bust the price is :,
10. Repairs cost Sc or 81 a year, for, 4
alike real flesh and blood beauties who =,
rive ON admiration, these big wax =.
ills become worn and faded from being =,
Inhibited. At such times they are sent =
ok to the artist in box to be fresh -,
ed up. -,
One of these great boxes stood in the y
rner of the worlroom the other day. -
side was beautiful figure in fencing n
stume. Her head was thrown back, -
T arched foot was thrown forward =;
d her lovely arms held in proper posi- -.
N for bout with the foils The art
viii mend the broken finger, fix the Il,
IL, touch up the flesh tints, arrange ~ ~
Q costume and give the figure n life ~,
e poise. Then she will be put in the ~,
K and sent to her owner, with bill y,
, &c. ~ ~
If you ask the artist where he found -,
> model for his cherubs, he will only a.
lie and say, Il never give the names - ~
my models, - but it would be a fair ~ ~
ess to conelude that his favorite model A. A.
that bit Of dimpled work is his own he
Id. New York World ~