San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-08-28
FR1ENDIYIfACEs
Beam Down ppon the Visitors at
the National Museum.
eaaster sCzsts of Noted Persons and Queer
Manikins of the Various Races
An Interesting Cox
lection.

Some queer nikenesses of human be-
1ngs OF many Municipalities and coun-
tries have been collected in plaster by
the scientists at the National museum.
In sizes these range from the heroic to
miniature, the last class including
large number of dolls which illustrate
the different races of mankind. The
dolls of savages in this group are per-
hapsthemOst instructive of all. These,
to savage people, are something more
than toys, for with them the savage
mothers instruct their offspring in the
domestic arts. Several curious stories
are told of the work done by sculptors
at the museum in the construction Of
nanikins.
The collection, says the National
Tribune, includes a number of heads
From one of the shelves there looks
down a plaster mask of the late Joseph
Francis. 1t lis in one of the less-fre-
quented corners, and attracts no atten-
ton from the thousands of visitors who
pass through the building weekly. He
was the inventor of lneboats, and the
museum has several valuable specimens
of his invention. He was friend of
the museum, and the mask was taken
only a short while before he died. The
eyes are closed, and, inst as in death
mask, there is a lack of expression.
A companion mask near that of Mr..
Francis is one from Gen. Greedy, the
present head of the signal corps, dis
tinguished for his travels in the far
north. Thereproduction of the features
is well-nigh perfect, except for slight
distortion of the muscles, caused by
the pulling down of the plaster The
mask is of the entire head, except the
lower part, which is omitted, that the
mask may be taken off entire. These
masks were made by Theodore A. Mills,
the sculptor, who has done considera-
bic creditable work of this kind at the
museum. He makes them very quick
ly, each occupying only about fifteen
minutes.
One advantage in leaving off the
lower part of!the face is that it allows the
person to breathe freely, and this part
can be added afterward without diff
Guilty. Most sculptors, however, spread
the plaster down over the lower part of
the face, and insert straws IN the nos
trils to allow the subject to breathe. |
These masks, taken while the subject |
is in excellent health, are the best |
means known for preserving the fea- |
lures. Death masks are usually unsatis- |
factory, because the face is then |
usually emaciated and the eyes sunken. |
The expression then is far from salts
factory. Life would also be of great |
assistance to sculptors in molding
busts and statues.
People visiting the museum some
times marvel at the life-like> oropor-
tions of the many lay figures which
adorn the different collections. The
scientists have acquired great prof.
cheney in this kind of work, and it is not
far from the truth to say that a close
of the delicately-formed
hands and feet, as well as arms and
Iower limbs, would show intimate
friends that prominent people in WASH
ngton have been utilized to grace the
collections of Indian peoples, wild
'ribes of Borneo, and other races. That
las come to be one of the penalties Of
being a sculptor's friend, for he will
insist upon casts with which to frame
lis manikins. The different parts of
he body of a man or a woman can be
aiken separately, and then joined to-
yether with putty. A very lifelike eff
ect is produced in this way. The only
,art of the body which cannot be taken
n cast is the abdomen, and this is be-
ause the breathing would interfere
With the forming of the plaster.