The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1910-05-26
FAMOUS wax ARTIST
Nine. Tussaud. Had an Exciting
and Dramatic Career.
IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

During That Era of Bloodshed She
Modelled Some of tho Heads That Fell
by tho Guiiiotine and Was For a
limo In Prison Aerself as q Suspect.
This Is the story Of Nine. Tussaud,
who was born In Rcrne In 1T6O and
died in London in 1880. and who. dur
Ing the stormy time Of the French rev.
olution, modelled In wax some Of the
heads that fell by the guiElotine.
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 rs modelcr in wax.
The Curtius studio became the rem
dczreus Of the fashionabl world. and
in connection with this he had muse
um Of curiosittes. Among his patrons
were V0ltnire, Jean Jacques, Rous-
seau, Mesner, Mfrabcau. Diderot, Ben
jamin 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..
Curtius, and she was so skillfui in
the modelling Of wax flowers that this
art became a craze. Even the royal
perSOnages in the palace took it up,
and Marie spent some time giving les,
sons to Nine. Eliza beth, 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
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 bust of the min
lister, Necker, 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 10
show their sympathy and started to
parade the streets with these.
AS the procession fled across the
Place Vendome 40 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 it was hit by q musket ball in the
leg and received the thrust of q 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 BastiIe 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 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-
Deratc period. She was "suspecteG"
and sent to prison. Here at the same
time was Nine. de Beauharnais, who
had barely escaped the guillotne and
who was later the Josephine Of Napo
leon Bonapartc. Her uncle was able
to get Marics release from prison. and
she came out III time to see the down
fall Of Robcspicrre. Danton and Dcs.
moulins.
In the days Of their power she had
been called to model the heads Of
many who feH by the guilletine. 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 AntOinctte and Of the Princess
Lamballc, 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 durfpg the revolution,
aud 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
all about the country, and in 1888 It
was brought back to London and made
q permanent exhibition. Her sons con