The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-14
SOME ARTISTS MODELS
A Few of the Reasons They Give
for Wanting TO Pose.
Artists Who Employ Them seldom
Contradict Their Fabulous Tales
OF Lost Weaith-Nany Models Claim
to he the Original Gibson Girl.

pipe in great content, ready to break a
/ lance with anyone who might enter the
/ arena of discussion. says the New York
/ sun But the other members OF the gang
/ didn't care TO exert themselves and the
only outsider present didn't dare.
| Models, repeated the illustrator mus
/ ingly, to the mind Of the average man
an artists model appears as a young
woman of exquisite beauty. wonderfully
gowned, who earns anywhere from $40 10
$50 day. Models as we see them may
be divided into three classes" the Illus
| traitor counted on his fingers with the
stem of his pipe models. fake models,
and models that are no models at all"
| Models from choice, from need, and
from fad, proposed the miniature paint
er.
we all know" said the gang.
But / don't" interposed THE stranger.
1 THE three classes are equally funny.
each one in it's own way the illustrator
resumed. The difference between them
is this: The real models are men and
women who earn livelihood by hard,
earnest work, and who do their utmost
to assist us artists. The fake models are
mostly vaudeville artists. chorus girls.
and cheap actors who want to tide over
a period of enforced inactivity. In the
half-starved individuals who think that
| posing offers a good way of earning a
| certain number Of dollars day, and the
dollars are what their thought is concen-
| trated on.
You will please note that these two
classes work, one willingly and interest
| eddy, the other unwiilingiy. indifferently,
| in a OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES -stroke-of-six
I way; but they work. Those whom / place
! in the third class-the most numerous ore
don't work at all, except by mistake
And it is the artist who employs them
who is guilty of the mistake.
| They are a wonderfully interesting set
/ OF people if you regard them from any
/ other point of view than the artists
! Heaven only knows where they come
/ from, but our stairways are being worn
! out by them. An overwhelming majority
! of those who run around to the studios
! seem TO belong to that class. Why. If
/ you want to employ a real mOdel-a good.
| Woodworking model-you must write in
/ advance and make date. They have gem
| orally arrangements with several artists
| to pose one, two, or three days a week
| for them, and temporary patrons Will
| have to take what they can get of the
/ time left over by the regular customers
How many real models do you think
/ there are in this city,? asked the stranger
Not twenty" the sculptor broke in
| hOtly. They are scarcer than gold coins
| in artistic pockets.
II think there must be fifty of them,
atleast, ventured the weekly illustrator.
Let's compromise in order to get at
traitor, relighting his pipe. There are GER
tainly not less than ten and certainly not
more than hundred real models in this
city, who make profession OF II and try
TO put a little d their soul into the work
For. remember, my friend, that a dead
model is little better than lay figure.
But coming back to that remarkable class
of models who are no models, nfne-tenthS
of them are women who are nearer TO
their second than to their first childhood.
and all of q EN- think they must give an
excuse for Offering TO pose
When one of them opens my door
they rarely knOck-she stops on the
threshold and tries to blush. while she
tears a hole Ia my Oriental rug with the
pciHt of her umbrella.
a. hea y. Nh Biackanwhite, she lisps
at last, 1 have not always had to pose
No, maybe l answer pleasantly; we
have all enjoyed few happy days of in
fanthOod, although it was long ago.
That's not exactly what L meant she
retorts with kIttenish laugh-Oh, they
are all so young and innocent. L have
been in better circumstances she goes on
Only last week L sold my two automo-
biles-"
What The expression on the
strangers face indicated a firm belief that
some one was trying to string him.
"On my word. replied the illustrator
This particular conversation occurred
right here only week ago, and that
woman was not at all unusual with re-
gard to ma gnifcent sweeps of magma
ton. Ask the gang
1T is true chorused the gang. The
front studio man added: The average
lost fortune of the models. who come
around here is about 100000
why. man." continued the illustrator,
''One of these women told me only yeSter-
day that she had occupied villa at New
port up to a few weeks ago, moving in the
best society Of that place, and here she
was offering TO work as model for 50
a day.
Mrs. VanaStOrbilt's tailor. another woman
said recently. I have just had three made
that cost me a little less than H,1G9
"A third one wanted TO pose just to
make money so she could spend the winter
at st. Augustine. Fla. at a Sl0-a-day no
tel There are mighty few of them who
have not been robbed Of a large fortune
by an abscOnding trustee or executor.
Some are European cOuntesses and
princeSSeS and peereSSeS. Others descend
from George Washington. Hamilton, the
Adamses or the Pilgrim Fathers. 1 was
visited last week by two alleged nieces OF
President Mckinley, an alleged cousin of
William Jennings Bryan, three alleged fe-
male relatives of Richard Croker. and
and seven women who pretended to be re-
lated 10 at least one member each of the
Presidents Cabinet. And what artists
they have posed fori
Believe me or no. the original Gibson
girl calls here not less than once day,
and she looks different every time. / hap
pen to know the original Gibson girl my
self-the genuine One-a fine Irish girl with
a stunning figure. She posed for him for
years during the period when he was ris-
ing into fame, and she even had 10 follow
him to Paris. Now she is married 10 q
wealthy broker. She is getting along in
years and putting on flesh, and she recOg-
nizes her old artist friends not with sa-
lutte. but with a wink when she meets
them on the avenue.
ont OF five models who cross my TIRES
hold without previous invitations three at
least posed for the Diana on the tower Of
the Madison Square Garden There is none
of them who has not posed at some time
or another, as she says, for St. Gaudens.
Macmonnies, Ward, and the other big
men.
L just came from Zorn,' said one Of
them the other day. lie is going back TO
Europe so that he doesn't need me any
longer. Otherwise l wouldn't be around
here"
She had never seen him even, but she had
heard his name mentioned in some studio
and had understood that he was a big
man.
DO you ever call their bIufs?" asked
the stranger
Never, What's the use?
i have known female models who mar
5eep away from it. They would bother
he life out of their husbands unit tnev
were permitted TO resume posing avoiding
he altogether after that. of course /
think IL is the joyful cOngeniai free at
uoSDhere of the studios that has become
a necessity TO them, just as stimulant
takes hold of others or as they say that
the stage dust. when once inhaled. leaves
1TeNer behind q mysterious longing
NictOriR's bridesmaid
The Duchess of Cleveland is the only
surviving bridesmaid of the late Queen