PENGUINS IN PLASTER

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28445, 27 November 1957, Page 11

PENGUINS IN PLASTER

Ready Sale In Antarctic

I From DENIS WEDERELL, ••The Press" Correspondent with the U.S Antarctic expedition.} LITTLE AMERICA, Nov. 23.

There are men here who have never seen a penguin, although they have spent a year or more in the Antarctic.

But this would take a bit of explaining to wives and sweethearts, to whose romantic ideas the Antarctic would seem to be one big penguin rookery. There is no known nesting place within 100 miles or more of this station.

To fill this gap the two Navy cooks here had an idea—and are selling penguins at one dollar 50 cents each, or two dollars 75 cents a pair. Richard Banasiak and Rocco Taurisano modelled in clay from a hobby kit a bird about six inches high, made a cast in dental rubber, and were ready to go into business. Whenever they have enough orders on hand they whip up a batch of plaster of paris and turn out a neat trayful of penguins. which they bake in a galley oven and later paint by hand in their spare time. Sales, they report, are quite good.