Evening Star Newspaper, October 11, 1931, Page 75

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, OCTOBER 11, 1931, 357 How Uncle Sam's Artists 'T'ap Modern Magic Experts at Model-Making Execute Copies of Museum Pieces and Historic Relics So Per- Sfectly That They Cannot Be Told From the Original—How Replicas in Miniature Are Made by Skilled Craftsmen for Exhi- bition Purposes. BY GENE DAY. CORE another triumph for your Uncle Sam, champion cracker of complicated conundrums. On this latest occasion the achieve- ment which merits praise takes the guise of a new system of scientific illus- tration—the development of modern wizardy in simulation which hatches out copies that are so realistic as to be practically indistinguishab.: from the originals. Here is the tale about a puzzle which came to life not so long ago over in the National Museum, repository supreme of relics which are priceless—treasures of antiquity which the wealth of all our public utilities amalgamated would be powerless to purchase. Across the Atlantic in gay “Paree” the French Government is fostering a mighty edu- cational exposition this Summer. One of those “grandest shows on earth” affairs, tales about which are told around the globe. Uncle Sam, a friend of France ever since the days of La Fayette, was invited to participate, and ac- cepted. Which meant the preparation of Gov- ernment exhibits pronto fashion for a voyage across the sea. Logically enough, when our national exhibi- tors began to conjure up subject matter for these exhibits the image of George Washing- ton developed before them. Washington, oe- loved by La Fayette. Why not send some of our most cherished relics of Washington to Paris for the big show? The query was transmitted forthwith to the National Museum, where various treasures once used by our first President are now on display in glass-faced cases, including his war sword, scabbard, mess kit, military tent and trappings, writing kit, uniform and the like, Would the museum loan some of these Co- lonial relics to the committee in charge of the preparation of national exhibits? No, was the prompt reply of the museum authorities after due consideration of the re- quest. The Washington relics rank among tha most sacred and treasured in our possession. It is contrary to the policy of the National Museum to allow such material to leave its safekeeping. HICH is where the art of scientific illus- tration and the mastery of artistic simu- lation knocked at the door and offered its tale ented services to solve the dilemma of the com- mitteemen, who had a good idea which seemed destined to go te seed. If you can't senc the originals to Paris, why not make faithful copies for travel abroad and the entertainment and education of the mil- lions who will throng the international ex- position? was the inquiry of that new art. All well and good, that is what we will do, responded the committeemen, A decision which has since been the source of experimental research. Research which has brought into being a new and novel method of copying museum relics. For those assigned to the task of producing the exhibits were not content merely to make duplicates of wood with as great accuracy as possible and let the matter rest at that. There is a certain scientific illustrator in the Government employ who is a genius at solving the most intricate “trade riddles” of his profes- sion. He is an experimenter as well as an artist and sculptor. If the demonstrated meth- ods of procedure will not fill the bill, he ex- plores the land of doubt in quest of new meth- ods. And in this particular case his quest was particularly fruitful. This resourceful artist has perfected a new plastic composition mixed with casein from either milk or cheese, which sets up hard as steel and is ideal for simulating metal. He adds soapstone to the mixture during its prepara- tion in crder to produce an unusually smooth surface in the copies and models which he makes. This new modeling or casting male- rial was a product of necessity. There was nothing else suitable for reproducing the war relics of George Washington, as ordinary model- ing plaster or plaster of paris were not adapted for such work. Uncle Sam'’s artists were obliged to don their thinking caps when they accepted the assign- ment of making faithful copies of Washington's sword, scabbard et al. The war relic originals were 50 valuable that some practical method of copying them had to be evolved which would not injure those articles in any way. That, forthwith, prohibited the use of grease, corro- sive chemicals, water, oil and similar sub- stances which might stain, blemish, scar or otherwise disfigure the keepsakes. The solution of the puzzle entailed consid- erable research in a fleld which offers neither Building Federal highways in miniature. seword in a scientific ice chest to a below- freezing temperature. Then when the weapon was removed from the cold box the plan was to gain an authentic impression by pressing hot paper over the ice-cold metal. Preliminary tests, however, disclosed that metal treated in that manner was liable to be damaged, as a film of moisture forms invariably when two surfaces of radically different temperatures such as those described are brought in contact. Finally, after combprehensive tests, tinfoil, A midget edition of a modern highway scene. traditions nor precedents as pathfinders. Fed- eral science concocted the idea of yoking spe- cial spraying devices like atomizers for spread- ing certain chemicals uniformly over the mu- seum articles. The idea was that these mate- rials would congeal and form accurate impres- sions which could then be removed and used as models in making the realistic copies. That scheme was soon shunted into discard because of handicaps which could not be eliminated. ‘The next suggestion was to “refrigerate” the Showing how the pioneers traveled overland in “prairie schooners.” such as is used in the modern candy shop as a protective covering for various sweets, was selected as the best available material with which to cover the relics to protect them dur- ing the copying process. For example, the service sword was removed from its display case to the office of the historian of the Na- tional Museum, where the artist blanketed it in tinfoil, rubbed the tinfoil gently with cotton to copy the impression and then applied a thin layer of plastic material. The impression im- printed in the tinfoil was thus transferred di- rectly to the plaster, which subsequently was used as the model in making the plastic com- position copy. The copy of George Washington's sword made in this novel way hardened like concrete to provide a smooth surface which appears to be metallic. It can be polished as is steel with an ordinary file. It challenges efforts to drive a nail into it. The nail turns back on itself and becomes blunted and misshappen the same as when hammered against metal. After the copy of the sword was made in this unique manner, it was painted and decorated with silverleaf in imitation of the highly polished surface of the real weapon. HE sword now on exhibition in the National Museum was one of a number which George Washington owned during his military career. History records that this weapon was carried by the commander in chief of the American Army during the Revolution as an emblem of outstanding military rank and title. It is probable that Gen. Washington procured that sword from James Bailey of Fishkyll, N. Y., who was the leading American dealer in such weapons during Revolutionary War days. Mr. Baliley was also an authority on the repair of such warfare equipment. The service sword unquestionably was of European origin, as were practically all such weapons used by Colonial officers during that day and age. This sword was bequeathed to Samuel Wash- ington by his famous uncle. Later it was ine herited by Samuel T. Washington, son of Sam- uel Washington. The latter in 1843 presented the sword and other war relics which Gen. George Washington used during the Revolue tion to Congress. Those cherished relics for many years were safeguarded in the custody ot the Department of State. Then they were transferred to the National Museum, where they now occupy commanding positions among the historical exhibits. ‘The last will and testament of George Wash- ington bequeathed his swords and military corteaux to his five nephews with the admoni- tion that they never unsheath the weapons to draw blood except in defense of their personal rights or those of their country. It was a relatively simple task to copy the scabbard of morocco leather in the same way in which the sword was duplicated. Washing- ton’s mess kit, however, was considerable of a stumbling block for the artistic simulators, as the wood was worm-eaten and so aged that it was difficult to find similar material with which to make another like it. The original mess kit, stocked with pewter dishes, knives, forks, spoons and other camping equipment, was made of ash, pine and chestnut, with metal locks and hinges. Eventually Uncle Sam found discarded crating infested with worms and dilapidated, due to exposure, which was satis- factory for mode! construction. The iron fit= tings were disguised with ammonia and muriatic acid so that they appeared wear-worn and aged instead of fresh from the hardware shop. During the turbulent war days of the Revolu~ tion, as well as when he visited France as an envoy extraordinary of the United States Gove ernment, Benjamin Franklin carried a hande some gold-headed staff made of osage orange. That was during the time when the British had unofficially designated Franklin as a traitor. The chances are that there was a secret price en his head, and if Franklin had been captured by the English his life would doubtless have paid the penalty of his voyage. Evidently at one time or another Washing- ton had admired that prized staff of Franklin's, for the latter bequeathed the walking stick to our first President. Gen. Washington, in turn, handed the trophy down as a legacy to Samuel Washington. Samuel T. Washington presented it ultimately to the United States to be pre- served as an historical relic. This staff, on account of its cylindrical shape, presented a problem to the scientific illustrator who was delegated to copy it. Making copies of the flat-faced sword and scabbard were easy as compared with the task of reproducing the staff. After considerable speculation on the subject, the expert hit on the idea of using pull strings of flax laid lengthwise on the sur- face of the cane underneath the tinfofl to aid in the removal of that protective material and the plaster impression. The cords were placed, then the tinfoil was applied and pressed against the wood to record the impression of its surface, The plaster was applied above the tinfoil. When the impression was finished the artist pulled out the strings in the successful removal of the impression cast. The surface of the arti- ficial staff was stained and polished in accurate imitation of the original. The key to the Bastile presented to George Washington by the King of France, and now the property of a prominent fraternal organiza- tion, was also loaned to your Uncle Samuel recently in order that it could be copied in plastic material and finished appropriately as a satisfactory substitute for shipment to France. Authentic models of Washington’s writing kit and military tent were prepared in similar manner. EALISTIC models of an old-fashioned prairie schooner, mules and hardy pioneers are compared directly with the modern motor car, truck and the concrete thoroughfare of modernity in miniature form in another attrac- tive display featuring the evolution in American road building and overland transportation. The midget wagon and automotive vehicles are truthful abbreviated reproductions of regulation vehicles. The artist who made this interesting exhibit has even been successful in the develop- ment of expression on the faces of the mani- kins depictive of the hardships of pioneer travel and the pleasure and luxury of modern cross-country traffic. The motor vehicles are shown speeding eover Continued on Seventeenth Page