The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-17
Frederick Haskin's Letter.
WAX LADIES AND WINDOW DISPLAYS


washington, D. c., kng. i'll
Have you noticed the wax ladies' In
the shop windows lately! That is
really . trick question, because the
wax ladies take . long vacation
every year. Being wax they simply
cannot stand the hot summer sun
for any length Of time. But when
you do see the patricians OF the
show windows on display again
take 4 hard look at them. Ten TO-
one they are entirely different from
your mental picture Of . typical
wax model.
The fact is the typical wax model
with its saccharins smile, its baby
doll expression, and its eyelashes
thick as tooth brushes, 10 now de-
classe. In its place has come q wax
figure that is still sweetly beauti-
full, but much more human looking.
Each one has the pink cheeks and
ruby lips that come out of q bottle
for wax as we'll as human faces.
But each figure is modelled from
life, as a statue is and the features
of the model are faithfully repro
duced. One figure offered to the
display men this year is . wax
bathing beauty modelled from .
champion swimmer with Mary
Pickford curls.
In the property room Of a big
department store q score or more
OF these highest types Of waxen
pulchritude1 may be seen. In one
small case q window trimmer
pointed out about $4,000 worth Of
wax.
There was one head Of q Spanish
type Of beauty. This wax lady
would rank high in any beauty
contest, and dressed in An expens-
i've frock she would undoubtedly be
a triumph. Yet she had rather
strong features. and a nose that
was a trifie irregular when viewed
at close range.
Her neighbor in the case wore
gray hair to represent woman Of
about so years. This matron was
even mofe unusual for q wax figure
than the black haired debutante.
She had the perfect Complexion
and the elaborate couture Of a
carefully groomed society woman.
But che also had two distinct
chins, and there were ridges on the
sides Of the nose where eye glasses
had pressed against the bridge.
This model usually wears glasses
when she apears in public to show
how a mature woman should look
at bridge party or on q motor
trip.
shoulders in the cash were a short
haired high school girl. a curly
haired little girl, and q young man
with features that any movie hero
might envy. All the figures, how
ever, were lifelike. Some had even
been give expressions suggesting
intelligence.
Cold Also BotherS Them.
Between appearances and in very
hot weatfSr the heads Of the de-
partment store wax works spend
their time in the glass case, which
is kept at an even temperature
The wax models are exacting in
| their choice of climate. Extreme
| cold is as fatal to their delicate
constitutions as extreme heat. They
cannot be put in cold storage least
the wax crack
In spite of their sensitiveness to
climate the models are almost al.
ways dressed unseasonably. II you
are an habitual window shopper
you know that the poor things bios.
son forth in palm beach sport
clothes and bathing suits aftel
Christmas, regardless of the snow
that may be piled around the win
dow. y
In blustery March the models
hurry into summer clothes, and
when the weather is just COO
enough to be safe for wax com
/ plexion they have to put on winter
overcoats and furs
Being a wax beauty is a hart
life with no rewards. With all O
her charms, a wax lady is merel,
a clotheA rack. She must be beau
tiful MERELY because if she wer,
homely the passersby would motto,
her defects and fidicule her in
stead of studying the clothes sh,
wears. Her well groomed beaut,
makes her an unobstrusive part o
the picture. and the shoppers, VIII,
know that the dress is the thing t,
look at, see the wearer Of the fin,
feathers only vaguely.
The property room, where tn