Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1909-08-26
wax ARTIST
Nine. Tussaud Had an Exciting
and Dramatic Career.
IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.
\ During That Era Of Rloodshed She
Modelled Some Of the Heads That Fell
BY the Guiliotine ard Was For a
Time In Prison Herself as Suspect.
This is the story of Mime. Tussaud,
who was born in Berne in 1850 and
died in London In 1850, and who. dur
, ing the stormy time of the French rev.
Olution. modelled in wax some of the
heads that fell by the guillotine.
Marie Gresholtz was the daughter of
an afd-de-camp Of General Wurmser
in the Seven Years. war. She was
born after the death of her father.
Her mother was the sister of DR.
John Christopher Curtius of Bcrne
This DIR. Curtius had made many
anatomical and other models in WAX
and had attracted the attention of the
Prince de Cont. This nobleman urged
Curtius TO come to Paris and establish
himself as Il modeler in wax.
The Curtius studio became the rem
devious of the fashionable world. and
in connection with this he had Il muse
um Of cllriosities. Among his patrons
were voltaire. Jean jacques. Rous-
Eeau. Mcsner. Mirabeau. Diderot, Ben
5amin Franklin. Paul Jones and many
other notable persons.
In his visits to his sister ut Rerne
DR.. Curtius had taught his niece, Marie.
many of the secrets of modelling in
wax. She showed such ability in this
that her uncle urged her mother TO
make home with him in Paris and TO
allow him to adopt Marie as his daugh-
ter
Marie began earnest study with Dr.
Cnrtius. and she was so sliillful In
the modelling of wax flowers that this
art became craze. Even the royal
persoMlges III the palace took it up.
and Marie spent some time giving les
sons to Nine. Elizabeth. the young sis
ter Of Louis XVI.
When the revolution broke out l'r
Curtius took the side of the people All |
sent for Marie to come from tire pal
nee. 1t was rather singular that two
Of his wax models should have played
q foremost part in the opening scenes
Of that awful period. In his collec-
tion of models was IL bust of the min
lister. oNccker. father of Mme de Stael.
and one Of Philippe. duke of Or
! leans. Two days before the storming
of the Bastille Il mob took these two
busts from his museum in the Palais
Royal. draped them in black Grape to
show their sympathy and started to
parade the streets with these.
AS the procession filed across the
Place vcndome troop of dragons
and one of the regiments charged. \
sword stroke cut the bust of Ncckcl
in halves, and the man who was carry
ing 1t was hft by a musket ball in the
leg and received the thrust of Il sword
in his breast.
The bust of the Duke of Orleans
escaped injury. but in tho fight to de
fend 1t several persons We're killed
The soldiers made desperate efforts to
demolish 1t.
At the taking of the Hastilc DR.. Cur
y thus was active and for his services te
France was rewarded by the nationa
assembly. A badge of honor was pre-
sentcd to him. and this was inscribed
with the famous date and memorial
of his bravery and patriotism. Hi.
house was Il fayorite place of meetin:
with the leaders of the revolution, 81
Marie had an opportunity to see then
nll.
There was only one time when Marie
was in any danger during this des
pernte period. She was "suspccted'
and sent to prison. Here at the sam,
time was Nine. de Beauharnais. VIII,
had barely escaped the guillotine ant
who was later the Josephine of Nlpo
leon Ronalartc. Her uncle was abl'
to get Marie's release from prison. an,
she came cut in time to see the down
fall 4. i:obespicrrc. Danton and Dos
.no1;:;;ns.
In the days of their power She la,
been called to model the leads o
many who fell by the guilloti,le. Sh
was Obliged to take them just after t Ii
fall Of the fatal knife. She did thi
awful work with the heads of poo
Marie Antoinette and of the Princes
l.ambulle. the queens friend. Whe
the leaders suffered by the guillotin
In their turn she hodelcd their heads.
After the revolution her uncle dice
md In 1895 She married NJ. Tnssau,
Size coul. rot overcome the shock {
her experiences during the revolution
and She persuaded her husband
take her and the valuable collcctici
OF wax models left her by DR.. Curt;,
ever to England.
They established this collection
the Strand. The collection WAS lax
ali about the country. and In ls::...
was brought lt.,rls to I.onnlcn and nE,.
a permanent exhibition. Her sons roi
Quoted the business. and she took :,
active share In this TIL she WAS ci.h;
years of age. Boston Globe.
NarsinJ Their Children.
1t was Il musical man who gave J.
four daughters; the fnllowin. han!a
Do-re. Mi-fa. So-la. Ti-do. The .ir-;t q