Where did the wax figures in the museum come from?

The wax figures were originally displayed in a private museum in Jackson, Wyoming. The figures and backgrounds were donated to the town of Thermopolis in 1998.

 

Are they different than they were in the former museum?

Although the figures are the same, many settings and the method of display have been updated. Additional artifacts and historical information have been added to provide a better understanding of the events and the history behind them.

 

Who made the wax figures?

Kenneth Bunn, a Denver artist and his employees, created the wax figures and the painted backdrops. Bunn is best known today for his bronze sculptures of wildlife.

How are wax figures made?

Wax figures were first made from plaster molds fashioned by artists from life, later from photographs. Today, the molds are often made using computers.
The face, hands and parts that will be seen are made of wax laid on in thin layers. The coloring is put on before the last layer is put on. The translucent quality gives an appearance more like human skin.

 

Is the body made of wax?

Early figures used straw or excelsior (wood shavings) stuffed in fabric bodies. However, many other things have been used -- plaster, wood, paper maché, and later plastic. Today if they are to be animated, they may be built of metal or plastic.

How big are the figures?

They are life-size. When information or photographs were available, they were used to determine the height and weight.

 

How many figures are in the museum?

In December 1999, there were approximately 80 wax figures in 20 scenes. Other scenes are planned for spring 2000.

What scenes and people are represented? (Some subjects have more than one diorama)

Native Americans & Buffalo Hunt

Lewis & Clark Expedition - Meriwether Lewis, William Clark & Sacajawea

John Colter

Jim Bridger

Captain Bonneville

John Charles Fremont and Kit Carson

Mormon Handcart and Brigham Young

Jean deSmet

Buffalo Bill Cody & Yellow Hand

Charles Russell

Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid & the Gang

Big Nose George Parrot

The Hayden Survey with William Henry Jackson

Law Enforcement on the Frontier: Sheriff, Jail and Gallows

Cattle Kate

Thomas Edison

The Search for Wealth Ends in a Ghost Town

Women Earn the Right to Vote and Esther Hobart Morris

 

Are there other things to see in the museum?

Historical artifacts are included in most dioramas. Other displays include photographs, art and artifacts of frontier life.

 

The museum includes two other major collections:

 

The G.J. Gutherie Nicholson Trust Collection of Early Newspapers and Maps: This 63-piece collection has three areas of interest:

French, German and U.S. maps dating from 1767 (pre-United States) to 1855.

Engravings and prints by early survey artists and explorers, including Fremont's expedition, Hayden Survey and Clarence King's 40th Parallel Survey.

 

National newspaper articles from 1860-1908 focusing on Wyoming. Pre-photography etchings include Indian life, Army forts, buffalo hunters, disasters, railroads, ranching, early settlements and towns. The pieces are from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Weekly, Harper's Weekly, London Illustrated News and other lesser known newspapers.

Yorktown Collection of Western Memorabilia: A 150-piece collection of early books, maps, photographs, historical documents and memorabilia of the West.