The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-22
AN IMPRtSS|Oh|ST
LOT Of PUPPETS
The Weird Little Figures That Take
the place of the Old Style
Manncqnins.

The beautiful wax ladies with
lovely waved tresses, who for so many
decades, As nannequins or dress
forms, have adorned the windows Of
shops and tempted weak femlninity
with fetching gowns. are having their
noses put out OF joint. The new I'M
pressiouistic school or art has made
its way even into the shop windows
and taking The place OF many of the
wax ladies' are piquant little per-
sonages with astonishing coloring and
expressions and wonderfully arranged
painted hair
Ii Is Il STYLE that came from France
as much as five years ago, when a
man miilner of reputation imported
a few OF the little mannequins, and
his shop was the only one in town
which showed them. Only 500
hat would stand for them at that
time They were a ten days wonder
then, bat taste in art is of slow de-
yeiopment. America was not pre-
pared for ne change, and II was not
until after the arrival of the cubist
picture with it's astonishing color and
design that the country was ready to
take up new art in its business. 1t
is only within the last six months that
the little .impressionist ladies have
been m v0ETTe,
For some time the wax ladies with
their prim. Sinking countenances.
will be safe 10 a certain extent for
the new impressionistic mannequins
have SO far no bodies. only narrow.
gayIy dressed shoulders. and they can
only show off the smaller articles OF
wearing apparel~-cap fichus. neck
laoes and things OF that sort. They
hare the advantage over the wax
manneauins OF being much less ex-
pensfve and. where a wax lady with
real hair. VII cost anywhere from s25
"a very Tow price--up to 500 and
more, the little mpressionistic NAME
uuins having merely painted hair
cost only So, unless their slim shou-
ders are draped in cretonne. when
they will be dollar extra.
| Most of the little impressionist la
dies have names which are painted
on the breasts OF the painted impress
sionistic gowns covering their square.
I cubistic shoulders. The ladies. how
ever. do not suggest the symbolism
of the name. Diana. for instance. has
i'nothing Of the severe dignity of the
huntress of mythology, but with wide
open. round eyes looks with fright
ened expression upon the world, big,
fiat curl standing out on either side
OF the race al the ears and longer
one coming down in the middle OF
the forehead. Hermione has her eyes
! turned in a coquettish way to one
side. and Pauline has closely frizzled
black hair and eyeglasses Pearl re-
sembles the beautiful girl in the
fairy tale who was. according to her
mothers wish white as snow red as
blood and black as ebony" Her hair
Is jet black and her complexion pure
red and white.
Frivolous Dot has hair of vivid
bright red and wears a bright blue
gown. and Zoe has black hair and
modestly closes her eyes. There are
little Indies Of deeper-toned red locks.
the Titan. and there are others with
hair painted beautiful brown or
golden There is one little almond
eyed Japanese lady The manneauins
wear wide varieties of namcs-Eu-
genie. l4eonora Fidelia, Althea and
Aida. among others. One little ladv
lis without name possibly hiding IL
because she wears a black heart. as
La patch. on her cheek.
The new mannequins or poupees---
daIls-as the French call them, are
by no means universally in use. but
every here and there one la to be
seen In the shopping districts.