The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-10-07
FAMOUS WAX ARTIST
Mime. TusSaud Had an Exciting
and Dramatic Career.
IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

During That Era of Bloodshed She
Modelled Some OF the Heads That Fell
by the GuiIlotnc and Was For a
Time In Prison Herself as a Suspect.
This is the story of Mime. Tuseaud.
who was born In Bcrnc IN 1850 and
died in London in 1850 and who. dur.
ing the stormy time of the French rev.
olution, modelled in WAX Sulrc OF the
heads that fell by the pull,tiuc
Marie Gresholtz was the daughter ol
an aid-dc-camp of General NuruScr
In the Seven Years war she was
born after the death of her father
Her mother WAS the sister of Or
John Christopher Curtus of Bernie.
This Or. turtius had made many
anatomical and other models in waN
and had attracted the attention Of the
Prince de Cont This nublcman urged
Curtius to come to Paris and establish
himself as - mudelcr in wax
The Curtius studio became the rem
devious of the fashionable world. and
I'm connection with this he had muse
um of curioSitics. Among his patrons
were NOltairc. Jean jacques. touS
seau. Mcsmcr. Mrabeau. Didcrot. Ben
jamin Franklin. Paul Jones and many
other notable persons.
In his visits To his sister at Bcrne
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 IA home with him in Paris and tn
allow him to adopt Marie rs his daugh-
ter
Marie began earnest study with Or
CurtiuS. and she was So Skillful in
the modelling of wax flowers that this
art became Il craze. Even the royal
personages in the palace took ii up
and Marie spent some time giving les
sons to Nine. Elizabeth. the young sis
ter Of Louis XVI.
When the revolution broke out Or
Curtius took the side of the people and
sent for Marie to come from the pal
ace. 1t was rather singular that two
of his wax models should have played
n foremost part in the opening scenes
Of that awful period. In his colleC
ton of models was II bust of the min.
lister. Necker. father of Nine. de Stacl,
and one of Philippe. duke of Or
leans Two days before the St0rming
of the BaStiie Il mob took these two
busts from his museum in the laIais
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 Ncndomc troop of Dragons
and one of the regiments charged. y
sword stroke cut the bust of Nccker
In halves. and the man who was carry
ing 1t was hit by ii 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 the nGnt To de-
fend it several persons were killed.
The soldiers made desperate efforts to
demOlish it.
At the taking of the Bastile Dr. Cur
thus was active and for his services to
France was rewarded by the national
assembly. A badge of honor was pre-
sented to him, and this was inscribed
with the famous date and memorial
Of his bravery and patriotism. His
house was favorite place of meeting
with the leaders of the revolution, 50
Marie had an opportunity to see them
all
There was only one time when Marie
was in any danger during this des-
perate period She was "suspccted'
and sent to prison. Here at the same
time was Nine de Beauharnais. who
had barely escaped the guillotine and
who was later the Josephine OF Napo-
leon BOuapartc. Her uncle was able
to get Marie's release from prison. and
she came out in time to see the down
fall of Robespicrre, Danton and Des-
mouins.
I'm the DAYS of their power she had
been called to model the heads Of
many who fell by the guilotine. She
was Obliged to take them just after the
fall of the fatal knife. She did this
awful work with the heads of poor
Marie Antpincttc and of the Princess
Lr,nhallc. the queens friend. When
thu, leaders suffered by the guillotine
In their turn she modelled their heads.
After the revolution her uncle died,
and in 1893 she married NJ. Tussaud.
She could not overcome The shock of
her experiences during the revolution,
and she persuaded her husband to
take her and the valuable collections
of wax models left her by DR.. Curtius
over to England.
They established this collection in
the Strand. The collection was taken
A., all about the country and in 1888 it
was BROUGHT back to London and made
permanent exhibition. Her sons con-
Quoted the business. and she took an
active share in this til she was eighty
years Of Boston Globe.
Msgivings.
''That was Il very lucid document
Won ureparrd" said the friend