Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-05-15
A WAX FIGURE MILL.
THE PLACE WHERE LIMITATIONS or
THE HUMAN FORM ARE MADE.

Fashioned Ia Clay From living Models.
Figures Used For Displaying Articles oi
Wearing Appnrc!-The Beautiful Fcncer
Needed So Worth of Repairs.
Como down here, Sweet Marie, and
let me ullacc you" A customer i'll One
CT tkc Sixth avenue shops was startled
by tho above remark. and turning saTy
Cns of the clerks removing dainty
black ccrsct from the wax bust th;:t
stands all day i'll tie shop window lool:-
ing out at tho passengers on the elevat-
| ed road.
Tho clerk explained that shc and tho
other girls i'll that department had given
names to carh of these waxcn figures
They Seem almost alive to us, " said
she.
Most of tho wax figures used for this
purpoac aro 10 longer imported, bnt are
made i'll this city. Tie manufacturer
has his workrooms in Canal street.
A reporter who visited the place at
first fancied he lad entered the dressing
Eoon of some living pictures. Directly
opposite tho door sat Il fsure clothed
only i'll u suit Of woven underwear and
pair of high hceled slippers In far
corner sat another figure clad in black
tights. There were several ether figures
i'll WAX standing about the room, but the
| long lasics never Quivored over the
bright eyes, nor did the smiling lips re-
lax, nor the pink flush on the checks
deepen ut tho coming CT q stranger in
their midst.
Tie proprietor gave an interesting &c
count Of low IL WAX fir;Irc is born into
tho world lc it ali Indian warrior CT :.
society belle wearing :. riding habit ard
seated On Il hCrse's back. Ec has made
over 500 Wax mos.c!s il eight years. He
says that il beautiful arm il GbOu5 tho
most difficult thing to find ina model.
There WAS :. olirniioti wax ouC, with .
tiny, flowcrlisc h.I.ii, fastarcd to ollO Of
the ladies il tights. 1t was not nloidCi
from the cast Of Il professional models
arm, Int froril that Of Z girl who worked
up stairs. Nncl she fCund size had III
arm that could earn roe money from
being beautiful tlian it could by its skill
in work, shc went away 10 become i
professional model IS to arms BIT this
artist IL Wax has six model; OF the per
feet arm, So it isn't likely that his
waxen women will ever he ''Venus de
Milos.
In making = wax figure the ro:c Of
the living model is first arranged. Then
Il clay model is made from the living
one. Over the clay model is formed the
plt:ter cast When this is hard. the
melted w., which has previously beol
colGTCd ti:n t;.-.-i,CG flesh tint. j poured
III and Let Il liaTt.ez, II = octt.-;n thick
i:ess. Ii.cr The ..upcIfiuors wax, which
has not yet cooled, is poured ont, and
TIE proper thickness i; gwen to the pas
ter cast shaped like the hvin; model.
Tic hair Is rut on c:lc hair ri Z time.
and with due regard to the way il should
grow. This work is done by five Young
voincn. Tho delicate Nrcril Cf melting
the wax out Of the eye sockets and from
between the lips, tinting the lips and
checks and Fastening i'll the eyes and
teeth is left fCr the ary iGt. The eyes used
arc Iaucll ike those il = wax doll. but
the teeth are AZ natural rs the dcntist's
sljll can make them.
When :; figure is ordered to advertise
IL corset, the nCdcl l:iust lace herself IN
one of the ccrScts to be advertised as
tightly a.; women pictured III Il fashion
paper. I. is therefore necessary that thc
1ncliel shall he built Oh different lines
from these who usually pcsc for paint
ers. The price Of y life size figure is from
Sl00 70 $500. For a bust the Price is
SO. Repairs cost S,5 or 81 !. year, for,
unlike real flesh and blood beauties who
thrive on admiration, these big wax
dolls become worn and faded from being
exhibited. At such time; thcy are sent
bacii to the artist in . box 70 be fresh
ciied up.
One of these great boxes stood i'll the
corner Of the workroom the other day.
Iuside was beautiful figure in fencing
costume. Her head Was thrown back,
her arched foot was thrown forward
and her lovely arms held III proper posi-
tion for bout with the foils. The art
ist will mend the broken finger, fix the
hair, touch up tie flesh tiuts, arrange
the costume and give the figure life
like poise. Then she will be put in the
box and sent TO her owner, with Il bill
for Sc.
If you ask the artist where he found
the model for his ciierubs, he viii only
smile and say, II never give the names
of my models, ~ but it would lie fair
guess to conclude that his favorite model
for that bit of dimplcd work is his own
child. New York World