JEAN BATTEN MODELLED IN WAX

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 36, 12 February 1938, Page 18

JEAN BATTEN MODELLED IN WAX

The image of Miss Jean Batten has now been added to Madame Tussaud's collection of famous people.in London. She is in distinguished company, for kings and queens, admirals, generals, explorers, adventurers, actors, and actresses may be found there.

Miss Beula Hay. who has been betitnd the scenes at Madame Tussaud's, wrote the following article about her impressions and experiences for the women's supplement of the "Sydney Morning Herald."

The strangest wardrobe in the world is at Madame Tussaud's exhibition.

Mrs L. North is the wardrobe mistress, a quiet and charming middleaged woman who has made a life-study of period costumes, end is regarded as an authority on such matters. When I called to see her, she produced a bunch of weighty keys and unlocked drawer after drawer and several cupboards in which were duplicate sets

oi clothes and accessories worn by the wax figures in the exhibition.

Collars and ruffles are changed once a week or fortnight. Gloves, especially white ones, are another big item in the weekly laundry bill.

It will interest many women to know that the lace on the gowns and suits is real. In many cases the clothes displayed are the original clothes once worn by the owners. , Our present Queen's robes have been copied to the most minute detail in identical cloths to those of the original ones. Mrs. North took me into a vast wardrobe in the corridor, where there were hanging duplicate frocks of the ones worn by Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose in the exhibition. On close inspection, I found the frills, which I had imagined to be hemstitched, were hand-sewn, just as they are on the original frocks which are worn by the Princesses in real life. EXPENSIVE JEWELLERY. Jewellery is another big item. One set in the Royal Group cost over £200. Incidentally, imitation medals are not as cheap to cast as the casual visitor might imagine. Shoes have to be specially made, and no end of trouble is taken to have the old-fashioned footwear correct in the smallest detail. From eight to ten every morning, including Sundays, Mrs. North and two assistants from the "beauty" department go around to various figures and .give them their weekly change of apparel. The two girls, Miss Vera Bland and Miss Maud Collins, hurry around to the wax figures after the cleaners have dusted the figures, from 7 till 8 a.m. The work of these girls is to comb the eye-lashes, brush the hair of the models, and add any little "tidying-up" touches that you or I would do to make ourselves presentable to show ourselves to the public.

After thousands of visitors have visited this amazing exhibition every

BEHIND THE SCENES AT MADAME TUSSAUD'S

morning I called he showed me a letter which had just arrived from Iceland. The writer wanted to .know whether Hitler was taller than, Mussolini, as he had a bet with a friend;.that'he was. So along went Mr. Edjis.^ith a tajpe measure to the wax models to find out. Hitler was just an inch:I'taller than II Duce. . ' ■ ,' . .

Hitler nas strange blue eyes. The colour would be difficult to describe. The "whites" are distinctly blue, in a paler colour than the irises. Mr. Bernard Tussaud, great-great-grandson of the late Madame Tussaud, had great difficulty in getting the correct colour of Hitler's eyes. A man who knew the dictator was on the matter, but could nol remember just what they looked, like. As he also could not describe the exact colour of his hair, he made a special trip to Germany to find out, MODELLED FROM LIFE. When possible, living subjects, such as famous statesmen, airmen, sportsmen, and actors, are modelled from life. Most people are flattered at the idea of being placed in Madame Tussaud's exhibition and readily agree to give a sitting to Mr. Bernard Tussaud, which lasts from one to six hours. Before they arrive he has the head and features modelled from photographs, and then alters the expression to that which is most characteristic to the sitter. The models of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor are standing together now, near the Royal Group. Formerly Mrs. Simpson had a little hidey-hole all on her own. Her frocks are changed from time to time to keep up with her latest fashions. People who know the Duchess remark that the likeness is excellent. She is not quite so tall as the Dyke. Her hair is glossy black, and her violet blue eyes are not big. ' You will be interested to know that her measurements are: Bust 36 inches, waist 27 inches, hips 37 inches. These measurements were obtained from one of her dressmakers.

day, a lot of dust has been raised, and it is no simple task to keep the lifelike permanent inhabitants looking spick and span. Mr. Reginald Edds, a tall young Englishman, attends to a thousand £tid one interesting details. For instance, a visitor to the exhibition recently remarked that he was astonished lO find the image of Amelia Earhart, the muchmourned airwoman, so life-like. The only fault he could find was that the hair was' too tidy. He had known this airwoman, and said that her hair was always ruffled—it would be unnatural to see it tidy. Thereupon, Mr. Edds instructed Miss Bland to make it look untidy. A BET IN ICELAND. It is also part of Mr. Edds's duty to answer the many letters which arrive daily from visitors to the exhibition. Often they wish to check ur on certain facts which they have forgotten. The