Conservation around the Millennium (Hungarian National Museum, 2001)
Pages - 153
The tailor-dummies, as well as the shop-window mannequins, are all means of advertising the ideas of fashion, they belong to the category of fashion- mannequins. Their origin may have been large-size, wicker-work, portable figurines, which basket-weavers and wickerwork-chair-makers produced in France from the early 16th century, for the purpose of processions. The multipurpose utilisation of wicker-work dummies is illustrated in an advertisement from 1887, which offers the collapsible wickerwork mannequins for travelling, together with a standing basket as the latest invention. The French Bust Company of London produced a hollow wooden bust to the exact measurements from its commissioner, which bust got to be hanged in the middle of the basket. The basket together with the bust formed the full figure dummy. According to the recommendation, the structure was very useful for transportation of complicated toilets as well as for their alteration, gathering or cleansing. After 1878 sawdust-filed textile puppets appeared in the market, with legs formed of wood, a head of papier-mache or wax, wearing a wig of real human hair. Following the Paris World Exhibition in 1900, manufacturing series mannequin started, utilising paper, textile and wood materials, with adjustable articulated limbs. In the 1930’s the new technical developments made it possible to create a new puppet-type with light and easy to paint hollow papiér-mache bodies. The easily melting wax was substituted by a paste, consisted of plaster of Paris and gelatine. When cotton-powder was dusted over it as a make-up, it proved biscuit or a creamy peach appearence according to the finishing. The display dummies for museum exhibitions presenting historical costumes, may be considered as the next type among the mannequins. These must be compiled together with the general conception of the exhibition and with the character of the collections, as well, thus with very special requirements. Attires of special periods, with very different measurements considering the accessories influence the character of the dummies. The definite mode of wearing these robes, requires the solution of a complex statical, mechanical and measurement problem. The tailors or shop-window mannequins available in the market have been in the majority of cases, unsuitable for 5. Rococo gala dress from the second half of the 18th century 153
