The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-25
However. Both Are Located I'm In
dianapoIis, the Statuette Maker
and the Wine Maker.
JUST as IN SUNNY ITALY
BOTH OF THESE MEN FOLLOW THEIR
CHOSEN TRADES.
4 Visit to Either's DomiciIe Is Some
thing Out of the ordinary for
This City.

The houses of Gauspari and Rosasco are
four miles apart. Each house represents
a transplanted bit of Italian life. Who
would dream of looking for Italian romance
and tradition in prosaic Indianapolis? And
yet what is more tinged with romance than
the art Of the statuette maker, and where
will you find occupation more closely
allied to tradition than the daily toll OF
the winemaker? Down at Gauspari's they
make statues; up at Rosascos they make
wine
Some day when you feel in the mood for
long walk just take a stroll down South
Delaware street, and about two blocks
beyond st. Vincents Hospital you will
come across a dingy. uninviting little frame
structure. Its one big window is almost
impenetrable with the dust of years and
the weather-beaten door. with its dirty win
dow panes. gives one the impression that
1t was never meant to be opened to visi-
tors. The little building. whole. seems
to have been forgotten I'm the march OF
progress. and your first thought is that it
is unoccupied. And then you chance TO
notice. scrawled across the dutsy win
dow UP near the topmost framework where
the spiders are, the name, "E. Gauspari,"
ly under it the information that "statuettes
are made here" 1t is the house of Guas-
pari.
You will not find the building so unin-
vitihg inside. but when you come out OF
doors again you are pretty sure to be
covered with fine white dust that re-
fuses to be brushed off with anything less
than stiff broom. The floor. the walls,
makers labor, the workmen themselves.
are white from their shoes to their natur-
ally black hair, for plaster OF paris is
like the alkali of the Arizona desert-its
conquest of everything in it's way is not
to be withstood. in the main room of the
place three men. with their sleeves rolled
up above their elbows and their shirt COLI
lars turned back disclosing swarthy necks,
sit near the long wooden table, busily en-
gagged in the manufacture OF the little i'm
ages that are afterward to be sold i'm the
big department and notion stores or ped
died about from house to house by fell
low-countrymen.
HAS THREE ASSISTANTS.
ERGO Guaspari has three assistants-An-
tonic Tomeoni, Orosco Mariani and Pietro
Lena-all of whom learned the trade OF the
image-maker. when boys. in sunny Italy.
They are all artists, too; to watch them at
their work is to admire the wonderful pre-
cision with which every little feature OF
their work is accomplished. They know
more about the masterpieces of sculpture
than do many of the self-satisfied art crit
les. and, when one comes to think of il, Ia
not a community greatly benefited by their
presence? In the pursuance OF their labor
they really do more TO improve the general
taste. to place copies of known sculpture
within the reach of all, and to famiiiarize
the public with what Is good. than any
school (Which only a few can attend. than
any gallery (Which the working classes
seldom visit, or any other institution in
the country.
Guaspari is the controlling force OF the
little art shop. He it is who feels the public
pulse and decides whether the next lot OK
statuettes had better be Madonnas.
Beethovens, or Shakspeares. He contracts
with the big department and china stores
to keep them supplied with everything they
may require in the way Of plaster-of-paris
images, and IL is he who sends out the
young Italian peddlers to solicit trade I'm
the residence portions Of the city. Hun
dreds and hundreds of little statuettes
that are TO be seen in Indianapolis house,
holds were carefully planned and moro
carefully manufactured down there at
Guaspari's modest little workshop In the
shadow of the great hospital.
The image-makers are an interesting lit
tie company of men. Antonio Tomeoni the
youngest Of the party. is but a mere lad.
who has been In the United States only
long enough to learn something of the
English language. which he speaks with
difficulty and with frequent lapses into his
own soft, musical tongue. Handsome as
many of the statuettes OF Appolo which he
makes himself, he is just the sort of fell
low to be sent out into the city in quest OF
customers, and when Guaspari thinks IL Is
time TO secure some extra trade. Tomeonf
is the one to go forth after IT, With twink
ling black eyes, Tomeoni explains that he
likes not to go from house TO house when
the snow and ice is on the ground, for
then, you know"-and he points. with q
humorous gesture. first at the frail little
images on a table nearby and then at his
own graceful lmbs-'I am not so vera
gooda on da slip'ry." and laughs at tho
imaginary catastrophe.
MANY STATUETTES.
A little apartment. hemmed of from the
workshop by thin board partitions. Is the
wareroom, and here are TO be seen statu-
cites of all descriptions. Mozart. wrapped
in thought rests beside a wicked little
Bacchante; Venus de Milo poses in all her
wondroEs loyeliness near triumphant Ma
poleon who stands with folded arms sur
veying a laughing African dancer. Over
In one corner under shelf is a bust OF
| Cyrano de Bergerac. but alas, the end OF
his nose has been broken of. Cyrano with
out all of his nose,-no wonder that he
has been relegated TO an obscure little hide
! ing place where the scornful eyes OF his
brother and sister statuettes may not cause
| him to crumble all 10 pieces. The curious
little apartment Is picturesque place; tho
little workshop that surrounds IL is even
more picturesque. ana the dark-skinned
| image-makers are the most picturesque OF
ALL Decidedly. the house OF Gusspari 10
well worth visit
One would think that the people OF a far