Tragic Beauties

Projecting beauty and inner emotional spirit as well as a fragile vulnerability, the images of these antique wax figures were captured by Barbara in a dimly lit mannequin warehouse in downtown Detroit. There they sat covered with plastic for decades, until a few years ago when they were sold to collectors.

Unlike the frozen lifeless mannequins of today, these European busts were posed for, many at the turn of the century, by flesh and blood women. Made with human hair, each strand inserted with a hot needle, teeth made from denture material, glass eyes, and realistic expressions, these figures possess a haunting, enigmatic aura. Indeed, without their facial imperfections, caused by heat and jostling, many of these ethereal beauties could be mistaken for their real counterparts.

Look into their faces and let them tell their stories.
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