The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1910-05-19
WAX ARTIST
Nine. Tussaud Had an Exciting
and Dramatic Career.
IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

|
MODIFIED Some of tho Heads That Eel
by tho Guillotine and Was For q
Time In Prison Herself as a Suspect
This is the story OF Mime. Tussaud
who was born In Bcrne 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 nid-de-camp OF General Wur1nser
Ill the Seven Years WAR. = She was
born after the death OF her father.
Her mother, WIS the sister Of DR..
John Christopher Curtius OF Berne.
Ibis DIR. Curtius had made many
anatomical aud other models In wax
ana had attracted the attention Of the
Prince de Cont. This noblemun urged
Curlius to come to Paris aud establish
himself as 4 modelcr in MAX
The Curtius studio became the rem
deZvous Of the fashionable world, and
IN connection with this he had n muse
UNI Of curios1ties. Among his patrons
were Voltaire. Jean Jacques, Rous-
Seau. Mesmer, Mirnhcau. Diderot, Ben
iamiu Franklin, Paul Jones and many
other notable persons.
IN his visits TO his sister ut Borne
DR.. Curtius had taught his niece, Marie,
many Of, the secrets OF modelling i'm
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 us his daugh-
| ter.
Marie began earnest study with DR..
! Curtius, and she was SO Skillful in
the modelling of WAX flowers that this
art became a craze. Gwen the roval
| personages IN 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 Dr.
Curtius took the side of the people and
sent for Marie to come from the pal
ace. 1T was rather singular that two
| or his wax models should have played
II foremost part in the opening scenes
or that awful period, In his collcc-
ton Of models was Il bust Of the MN
lister Neckcr, father Of Nine 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 ii
show their sympathy and started to
parade the streets with these.
AS the procession Eied across the
Place Nendome troop Of dragons
and one Of the regiments charged. A
sword stroke cut the bust Of Necker
in halves, and the man who was carry
ing 1T was hft, by muSket ball in the
leg and received the thrust of n sword
in his breast
r.. The bust Of the Duke Of Orleans
escaped injury, but in the fight to de
TEND it several persons were killed
The soldiers made desperate efforts tC
demOliSh it.
At the taking of the BaStille DR.. Cur.
thus was active and for his services tC
| France was rewarded by the national
assembly. A badge OF honor was pre-
scented to him. and this was inscribed
with the famous date and memorial
or his bravery and patriotism. His
house was favOrite place Of meeting
with the leaders of the revolution, sc
Marie had an opportunity to see then
all.
There was only one time when Marie
was in any danger during this des,
perate period She was suspected"
and sent to prison. Here at the same
time was Nine. de BcauharnaiS, who
had barely escaped the guillotine and
who was later the Josephine Of Napo
leon Bonapartr- -unclc-Mas able
to get Marie'S release from prison, an(
she came out in time to see the down
fall Of Robcspierre, Danton and Des
moulins.
In the days of their power she had
been called to model the heads OF
many who fell by the guillotine. She
was obliged to take them just after the
fall Of the fatal knife. She did this
awful work with the heads of DooI
Marie Antoinettc and of The Princess
Lamballe. the queens friend. Wher
the leaders suffered by the guillotine
in their. turn she modelled their heads.
After the revolution her uncle died
and in 1896 she married NJ. Tussaud
ohG NOuiu uOl overcome the SHOCK O.
her experiences during the revolution
and she persuaded her husband t.
take her and the valuable collections
or wax models left her by DR.. Curtiu
oyer to England.
They established this collection II
the Strand. The. collection was takel
all about the country, and in 1899 i
was brought back to London and mad
n permanent exhibition. Her sons con