Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-12-05
CHEAP STATUETTES.
NOW THEY ARE MADE, HARDENED.
FINISHED AND COLOReO.
italians From Tuscany Excel the
World In Their Production-The
Demand For These Casts That
Comes From Our Schools.

world ln Their Production-The
Demand For These Casts That
Comes From Our Schools.
While II is not difficult TO secure good
American workmen for carrying out
schemes of interior decorations, 1t Is
impossible yet TO get native born men
capable Of modelling statuettes and
busts such as are sold on the street
corners and In many Of the art shops.
All the workmen employed In factories
that produce these are Italians, chiefly
from Tuscany. This Is equally true OF
those who follow this trade In Ger
many and France. The Tuscans APP
pear to have natural ability for that
sort OF work that has given them the
monopoly of IT,
The great majority OF these busts and
statuettes are copied directly from the
originals wherever they happen TO be,
aud then the molds are made from that
copy and sent to all parts OF the world,
the statues being cast In the place
where they are 10 be sold. In the lar
ger shops In New York city, however,
q certain amount OF original work Is
done In order 10 keep pace with the
popular demand for representations OF
the hero Of tha hour. A great many Of
our most distinguished poets, authors
and statesmen whose busts are exposed
for sale on the street corners never sat
for these portraits. Some workman
modelled the head after 4 photograph
and occasionally has produced such
good work that II In almost a pity the
sculptors name should remain un-
known.
The chief purchasers OF these casts
from the larger makers are the high
schools all over the country. They de-
mand. of course, not only classical SUBJ
Jects and copies Of ancient bas-reliefs
aud architectural details, but also busts
OF famous men and women from every
period Of the worlds history. Such q
wide range Of subjects Is covered by
this demand that seven and eight thou
sand titles are included In some Of the
catalogues issued. The factories where
these figures are turned out exhibit In
their showrooms an assortment and
confusion Of time, place and nature be-
wildering TO look at.
The process Of casting these statu-
cites is comparatively simple one
when the mold IL once completed. The
material used, plaster of paris, Is
cheap, and very excellent quality Is
produced in this country. When the
statuette comes out, 1t is pure white
and covered with ridges made by the
different sections Of the mold. These
ridges are carefully removed, and then
the cast Is placed in an oven heated at
about $50 degrees. After II has been
baked for q certin length Of time 1t Is
plunged into q solution Of stearic acid
and kept there until thoroughly satu-
rated. Then. when II has dried. the
yellow color Is gained by applying to
the surface a solution OF beeswax, tur-
pentine and coloring matter. This color
will not wash Off and. Of course. any
shade can be produced at will.
''rhc demand for nude statues IN the
art schools is growing less every year."
said one Of the largest makers OF these
casts. That Is because people are
realizing more and more that artists
must draw from the human figure IT.
self II they wish TO understand the
human form. We get more orders now
for draped figures In the art schools
and for busts in the high schools. Un-
Ill very recently the busts or most of
the celebrated Americans which we
sell had been made In Italy from pho
tographs sent over from this country.
and many mistakes occurred In mat
ters OF detail. like the cut OF the coats
and collars. We are trying 10 do these
now In a more modern and Characters
tic way and occasionally have been
families"
The statuettes which are carried
about the streets wrapped In harmoni-
GUS yellow tissue paper or are display
ed on the sidewalks or on the steps Of
unoccupied Eouses are made by quite
q different set Of manufacturers. The
larger dealers do not sell to these street
peddlers at oil. The peddlers have their
own little workrooms. which furnish
them with their stock at a much lower
rate than the regular dealers charge.
No originals are made In these ateliers,
and most OF the molds are gained by
taking them from a cast bought from
some other firm. The stearic acid bath
Is left out of the process. and conse-
quently the color OF these cheaper
works washes of.
The peddlers Of these statuettes stand
IN about the same relation to sCulptors
and sculpture that the hand organ play
ers do TO music and musicians. They
reflect fairly accurately the popular
taste, and, according TO their testi-
mony. il Is the Tanagra igurines that
In the long run sell the best OF all their
stock. From time 10 time there Is
market for the bust OF some particular
man. and those sales are always TEN
porary. Grotesque figures are always
In demand and copies of the various
models OF Venus with which the public
are familiar. Rows OF Cupids and OF
monks heads. winged Victories and
busts OF Wagner come and go as pop
ular favorites. but the Tanagra fgur-
ines have a steady sale that insureS
lheir presence In the stock of nearly
every street peddler.-New York Post.