The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-27
THEY HAVE TR|LBY FEET,
Why Ladies of the Four
Hundred Visit Rupert
Schmid's Studio.
Dear Little Tootsies That Are Done
in Marble and Given to
Friends.

Rich ladies of San Francisco have often
come to me and said, 'I'have promised
my hand to some friend. Can you make
it for me in pure marble?' The hand is
beautiful thing-an artistic thing-and I
have always said, Yes; that is easy and
have made it in carved marble. But it is
no longer the hand that the ladies of San
Francisco come to me for, it is the foot"
Rupert Schmid said these words in haste
yesterday as he snatched few minutes
from his studio, where he is kept hard at
work doing some mysterious casting that
profane outsiders are not allowed to glance
at. There was time, not so very long
ago, either, when visitors were quite well
come in the sculptor's studio, and they
were freely allowed to rrevel in the spec
tacle of all the heads and torsos and
hands-even the feet-that make it so
beautiful to the artistic eye.
But the studio is sealed book now, a
holy or holes, and Rupert Schmid is the
great high priest who jealousy guards its
mysteries. The reason for all this ex-
clusiveness lies in few little innocent
looking plaster feet, that would strike an
uninitiateo beholder with admiration per-
hapS, but not with awe. These feet, how
ever, are not common, vulgar pedal ex-
tremltles, cast from modern models or
antique goddesses, they arc the beauteous
Tulbys of San Francisco's Four Hundred,
OF the maldenS who peryade Nob Hill and
the other eligible and fashionable quarters,
and who would be shocked beyond measure
if they imagined that the dimpled lowell
ness of their feet had been exposed bare to
the vulgar gaze.
Rupert Schmid was discreet and non
committal when questioned respecting his
new orders. 81 suppose the ladies had
read the Trilby story; it has been a kind
of craze lately" he said. 1.-THE book must
have given them the idea of feet, and then
they must have looked at their own and
found them to be beautiful. That is the
desire to have them modelled"
And will they give the feet to friends,
as they did the marble hands?' was asked.
"They have not confded to me what
they intended to do with their mable feet"
replied the sculptor discreetly. These
ladies come to me and ask, Can you make
cast OF my foot and give it me in marble?'
was little surprised at first, but then
reflected. 1t was true l had never been
asked before to make any feet in that
way, but what of that? a sculptor can
lay lots OF art in any part of the human
body. There is as much expression in a
foot as in hand or a face, though, per-
not familiar with art. l decided, there
fore, to take the orders for the ladies'
feet and to finish them with all the artistic
expression possible"
Before Rupert Schmid S studio became
the home of Trilbyism visitors were not in
frequently permitted to gaze upon some
one or other fashionable hand done in
marble. Its graceful wrist was generally
finished off with a ruffie or cuff of lace,
chaste and elegant in design, and rem ark
able for its richness.
"Are the-eh-Trilby ankles to be fin
ished off with rufus or cuffs of lace?" was
asked in tones of respect and awe.
That would have to be separate order;
lace rufus would be charged extra" re-
piled the sculptor in hard and practical
tones. "My orders hitherto have always
been for foot, simple. unadorned foot,
and it has ended abruptly about two
inches above the ankle bone-there has
been no ornamental finish whatever.
When completed the work has resembled
foot that is used as a model in art schools,
except that it was of Carrara marble in
stead of plaster"
Rupert Schmid was non-committal when
asked whether the feet of the Fonr Hun
dred were as beautiful as those of Trilby.
eff the ladies permit the marbles to be
seen," he said, guardedly, 1.-THE people
who see them will be able to Judge of
their physiological and esthetic qualities.
| cannot pronounce hasty opinion upon
the San Francisco feet from having cast
the feet of some of the fashionable ladies.
regret, though, that | am unable to show
the beauty that lies in the marbles"
could You reveal the names of some of
the ladies?'' was asked. The sculptors
face grew pale as he heard these words
Lifting his hat from his head, he ex-
claimed: "See! l have only few hairs
left; would you have these torn from my
head and leave me bald before my time?''
Then he added, with shudder: ASK any
other proof of courage that you will, but
do dot urge me to tell the names of the
ladies with the Trilby feet"
The Fire Department..