The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1910-06-02
FAMOUS WAX ARTIST
Nine. Tussaud Had an Exciting
and Dramatic Career.
IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

Modelled Some Of the Heads That Foil
by tho Guillotine and Was For q
limo In Prison Herself as n SUSPECT.
This Is the story OF Nine. Tussaud.
who was born in Rerne In 1T6O and
died in London in 1860. 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 aid-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 Berne.
This DR.. 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 modeler In wax.
The CurtiuS studio became the rem
dezvous Of the fashionable world, and
In connection with this he had q muse
um Of curiosities. Among his patrons
were Voltaire, Jean Jacques. Rous-
Seau, Mesnier, Mirabeau, Diderot, Ben
}amin Franklin, Paul Jones and many
other notable persons.
In his visits to his sister at Berne
Or. 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.
Curtius, and she was so skillfnl in
the modelling OF wax flowers that this
art became craze. Even the royal
personages in the palace took 1t 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 fer Marie to come from the pal
ace. 1t was rather singular that two
Of his wax models should have played
Il foremost part in the opening scenes
Of that awful period. In his collec-
ton of models was a bust Of the min
~
and one of Philippe. duke of Or
leans. Two days before the storming
Of the Bastille Il mob took these two
Gusts 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 fled across the
nf ne
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 hit by a muSket ball in the
leg and received the thrust Of sword
in his breast
The bust Of the Duke of Orleans
escaped injury, but in the fight to de-
fend it several persons were killed.
The soldiers made desperate efforts to
demoish it,
At the taking of the Bastille DR.. Cur
thus was active and for his services to
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,
Of his bravery and patriotism. His
house was Il favorite place Of meeting
with the leaders of the revolution, so
Marie had an opportunity to see them
all.
There was only one time when Marie
was in any danger during this des-
Derate period. She was suspected"
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 Nnpo-
leon BOnapartc. Her uncle was able
to get Marje's release from prison. and
she came out in time to see the down
fall Of Robespierre, Danton and Des.
moulns.
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
lawful work with the heads Of poor
Marie Antoinette and Of the Princess
Lamballe, the queens friend. When
the leaders suffered by the guillotine
in their turn she modelled their heads.
After the revolution her uncle died
and in 1905 she married NJ. Tussaud
She could not overcome the shock OF
her experiences during the revolution
and she persuaded her husband tt
take her and the valuable collections
Of wax models left her by DR.. Curtius
over to England.
They established this collection If
| the Strand. The collection was taker
all about the country, and in 1888 II
was brought back to London and made
| permanent exhibition. Her sons con
Quoted the business, and she took al
| active share in this till she was eighty
years Of age.-Boston Globe.
Naming Their Children.
1t was musical man who gave hii
| four daughters the following names