The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-11-25
MAKING SHOW WINDOW MODELS.

ing.
 On Canal street just off Broadway, in
 the wholesale district of New York
 there is the workshop of a German
 sculptor, whose whole time and art are
 devoted to modelling the display fig
 ures which are used in store windows.
 His prices are high, but his figures are
 works of art, and are sought by the
 leading dealers who wish to display
 their goods to the best advantage. He
 keeps no stock on hand, but makes all
 his figures to order, and thus suits the
 special requirements of each individual
 patron. The sculptor is man of large
 physique, with full dark beard and
 pleasing manners. His workshop is a
 curious place. In watching the details
 of workmanship, with which he keeps
 several assistants busy, one might inn
 agine that they had come upon fac
 tory for colossal dolls, but never did
 dolls receive such artistic modelling,
 such careful shaping of hand and arm,
 such flexibility of body. He Is an ar
 tist, but he has discovered compara-
 lively new field, and has found it so profitable that he is quite content to re-
 main in it..
 All his figures are made from life
 He has models pose for him whenever a new figure is begun, and the model is chosen in accordance with the specifi- cations of the customer who places the order. There are as distinct types among his figures as there are among the people one meets upon the street, and each one is thoroughly lifelike and graceful. The figure from the model Is first made in clay, then cast is made, and from this the final fiure is secured. There are many mechanical parts of the work which may be entrusted to as- sistants, but the original model must be made by the sculptor himself, and the final touches which give life to the figure are also his. It is needless to say that all display figures are not thus made. One has only to walk along the street and observe the show windows of the stores he passes to be convinced of this fact. Some of the figures re- semble wooden images as regards grace of pose, while the features of others would spoil the effect of the most artis- tic gown or hat. There are factories in several of the large cities of the coun- try in which display figures are pro duced, and the quality of the work va- ries widely but while some of the fac tories make good average figures, none of them ecploy a sculptor and none Of consequence produce the quality of work turned out from the little work shop in Canal street.
 The use of display figures is coming q T. yviIa odnntaH There are no other means of showing off garments to equal advantage The headless forms which formerly served this purpose could by no possibility give the effect of garment as do these life-like figures. The window trimmer of leading dry goods house states that he has experimented with regard to their actual value in selling goods. He has placed handsome suit in win dow to the best advantage he could without the aid of figure, and it has been passed by unnoticed. He has then dressed a figure with the same suit, and had people come in and ask about it repeatedly during the day. Of course each figure must be becomingly dressed and correctly fitted, especially if suits,
  ures are also used to display under wear and corsets, and the better class of figures are made with a flexible waist, so that oorsets of different shapes may be adjusted to them and lit to perfection.
 When these figures were first made they were largely matter of experi- nent, and since the upper part of the body is of wax and the temperature of show windows ranges anywhere from zero to one hundred and ten degrees there were some lamentable comedies. .I enacted The faces would either crack from cold or melt from heat, and on an exceptionally hot day the window trim mer was apt to discover a figure with its head resting upon it's shoulder or doubled down upon it's chest These accidents not only ruined delicate gar ments, but brought crowd of amused | rather than admiring spectators before the window. But with greater experi- ance has come greater skill, and the | wax Is now so prepared that it will re- sist all changes of etmperature
 The best and consequently the most | sxpensive figures, are so made that the | body may be thrown into any position, and may be shown seated as readily as i standing. The arms are usually joint sd, and the attitudes are changed ac- ,ording to the costume worn. The hair 8 not made upon a separate wig, but is ,ut directly into the wax by means of not needles This process is slow and a aborious, but the results are near life IS 1t would be possible to attain. The lair can. of course, be arranged in any node. Even the eyebrows are some imes made of hair and put in with the lit needle instead of being painted on. Everything possible is done, in fact, to rive the figure as life-like an appear lnce as possible, and so well has the esult been attained that one feels ac- ually startled in passing window mon the street to see the window Iresser suddenly appear with modish- ooking young lady clasped in his arms. These figures vary in price, according O the quality of artistic workmanship ut upon them, and the merchant who lses only the best must invest no in considerable sum if he makes an exten- i've window display; but the value of he figures is no longer question as seller, of goods, and merchants have one to look upon them as profitable nd permanent advertising investment. II D. Cowles in the Pittsburg Dis atch.