The Saint Paul globe., 1896-08-30
SINGS IN A CHURCH CHOIR
AND SHE DRAWS TINE LINE ON POS
ING In HORRID BLOOM
ERs.
PEN PICTURE of THE BEAUTY
Who Has Posed for the Stars OF
New York's Colony of
Painters.


of bicycle models In New York. Miss
May G. Dunbar says the Journal of
that city. There is not a famous stu
diO in the city where the Laughing
modeI' is not in demand, and she has
appeared as a pattern for all the BIZ
cycle models that are following in her
path.
1t was at the home of her mother.
IN the henWood, in West Fifty seventh
street. that Miss Dunbar was seen the
other day by reporter In the cozy
nat, hemmed in on all sides by manv
treasures of art and interest, gifts Of
Well-known artists, Miss Dunbar wouId
scarcely be recognized as the poser on
Inc wheel. To be sure, by far tba
greater part of her life is spent in the
stuolos, but there is enough time fo,.
ner TO devote to music and sinpinp
ana to the reading of classics which
she studies closely. For the hicvc1a
nodel IS student and a musician os
many can swear who have heard bar
oehcate mezzo-soprano voice in +ha
cnolr OF the Holy Innocents church
me moment one catches sight of
thls beautiful bicycle model one mn
uerstands why she has earned tba
u -. 80, y. the laughing model :"
her profile Is decidedly Greek bar -
deep hazel, her teeth firm eve, go -
Whlte as snow: her mouth . n,ot,,ro
oI grace In ITSELF A pretty face. -
| Is framed With mass Of Titian ha.r
pol It's details are almost swalIo1vod
up III the sunny smile which lights II
| up ana makes it radiant.
II the presence of the charmino
!' !liougi' so bright, so vivacious. and so
| a oh o<e,fL
nov she became the bicycle modal
ana IS surprised when she doesn't hava
ehe sllgntest objection to telling
| BEFORE l became the bicycle modal >.
salu she, the painters used me for NV
halr or neck or Shoulders. For tbis r
| was used by CafroH Beckwfth at his
stualo In the Sherwood; by Amelia
~ nussiler, tne miniature painter, who
| mas gone across to paint Duchess Gov
suelo'eby Roberts Reid, in his Carnaaia
! studio, and host of others Mr.
| Chase, at the ;Shinnecock., his sun.
mer studio, has yalsos,posed me for ~
hands, and then myafeet were naadad
py John La Fargo ahd Thomas Ducav
VINO also has his studio in the Carneeia
pulialhs. 81. Gauuens used me both for
hands and feet, andoso did viii LOW y
Il Also she continued. '.nosed oW w.
the illustrators. Twas called Gibson,s
haughing Girl. That of course. was
before | became the bicycle model 7
invariably Wore an empire gown then
on, that was Very different from the
bicycle costumei that wear now. Be
stues s,1lN3 MI. Gibson, Isposed for the other
illustrators, DuoBofs eKnfglft. in fha
| Alpine, and W. FL. Hyde, in his wash
ington square studio 11Getting down
to the real question of. posing on the
bicycle naturally the. first query was
whether the laughing model is fitted
py nature for the place she holds. 1t
sounded like a desperate Question ~
ask, but the bicycle model didn't mind
1t as long as it was in the interest of
art. - -
certainly" she answered, when the
question was asked. II am five Feet
live and threefourths inches in height
weigh l35 pounds, measure thirty-six
ana a half inches bust, twenty-five
inches waist, hips forty inches. 6H
glove, The length of my hands is
e1ght inches, about the hand seven and
one-eighth inches, length Of foot nine
and one-eighth inches. instep eight
inches, and l wear 5A shoe. There
you have it ALL
When bicycling became such
craze, went on Miss Dunbar, sthe
artists naturally began to consider its
connection with art. It was Gibson
who conceived the idea Of the bicycle
model One day he asked me if I had
divided skirt. That set me to think
ing. Before l called at his studio the
| next week had been to bicycle aca-
DENY taken the necessary first lesson
ana bought the divided skirt and the
remainder of the costume 1t was a
Jaunty suit, and 1 must say it looked
well. Gibson was delighted and began
a picture at once. But he had a fer
| rifle time with the bicycle 1t wouldn't
stand, and l had some awkward falls.
Ihen Du Bois Knight began his work
with me as the bicycle model He
conceived the idea of making the bicy-
Gle lmmovable so l could maintain the
proper pose. Five nails were driven IN
10 the studio floor, and from as many
dlferent directions ropes which led from
them to the bicycle held the machine
upright, with two boards In addition to
make the support even more sure That
| made 1t easy for me. All the artists
IlN their wheels in the same way now
| SO that can pose on them DAYS at a
time without the fear Of a fall. But
bicycle posing is much more difficult
than other work, The perfect position
must be maintained until the artist has
finished his work Sometimes. when
the work is done, ,En1y limbs are so numb
that I fall in dIsnipunting from the
wheel" -
How about bloemers?" the bicycIe
1AAOoC4 was dohc0r vi course you are
a strong advocate for them?' For the
first time the smile fitted from the
face, and the laughing model was no
longer true to her title.
"Bloomers! Neverp' said she. posi-
lively, Il have always refused to pose
in them. | always shall. You see my
IDEAS Of the new woman are perhaps
peculiar, l spend too much of my time
among men of brains to imagine that
they like masculine woman Bloom
ers are masculine, immodest, and
worse than all, they are ungraceful.
The first bicycle picture for which /
posed for Gibson was used in Harper's
Magazine, and from there was copied
into the French magazines. / wore the
proper costume then, and wear it vet
1t is strictly tailor-made dress, a per-
sfect hanging black satin skirt, a tight
hitting, jaunty waist, with perfect shoes
and gloves in keeping. Sometimes
blazer is added, with a hat of various
styles"
Outside of the studios Miss Dunbar
is an expert wheelwoman. 'I have to
be-, said she, in order to be graceful
and natural as well in the studios
Certain muscles have to be developed
In the limbs, wrists, neck and fingers
so that poses may be maintained with
out undue exertion''