More About Francisco Sanz’s Figures

FranciscoSanzfigure

I received this email from Marcelo Melison with more information about Francisco Sanz’s Figures:

Hello Dan:
I saw the movie you posted today on your blog, I saw it before and it’s just awesome, I love it!

Well, about his figures, I have GREAT NEWS for you: they all survived! :) Yes, they are still around. Sanz’s daughter Ana and his daughter in law and later his niece Pepa kept them in great condition after his death back in 1939 (he was born in 1872)… They kept them wrapped in the clothes we can see at the beginning of the movie (when they load them in the truck), and they would keep them, wrapped, in their trunks and cases. Once a year they would take them out, they would wash the wrappings and clothes and they would spray the figures with some kind of home made solution prepared with water and powdered mothballs… Keep in mind that those papier mache and wood figures are between one hundred and ninety years old!

They kept them so well, in fact, that back in 2010, four of those twenty something figures were restored and put on permanent display in the International Puppets Museum in Albaida, Valencia, Spain. The figures are Doña Eduvigis, Don Liborio (Sanz’s main character), small toreador Cotufillo and little boy Pepito…
Here is the link to a text in which they detail the restoration process. They show photos of the figures with and without their clothes and even x-rays of the heads…

For the ones who don’t read Spanish and just want to see the photos, they appear starting on page 26 of this thesis. http://www.scribd.com/doc/78766074/Exposito-I-Automatas-de-Fco-Sanz-i-Baldovi-2010
Hope you enjoy it.
Marcelo Melison.

Thanks Marcelo for sharing this information with us at Ventriloquist Central.

Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com

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Ventriloquist Central is the brainchild of Dan Willinger and Steve Hurst. Dan is a ventriloquism enthusiast and ventriloquist figure collector. He has been collecting for over 25 years. He created the Ventriloquist Central Collection. It now has over 100 ventriloquist figures and over 50 of them are Frank Marshall figures. Steve is a ventriloquist as well as builder of ventriloquist figures. He also has a background in sales, marketing, building websites and computers. Because they both love the art of ventriloquism, the website Ventriloquist Central was born. For more information about the website, go to: http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com

Copyright 2013 by Dan Willinger and Steve Hurst

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3 Responses to More About Francisco Sanz’s Figures

  1. Austin Phillips says:

    Great stuff, these figures are great! keep the info/pictures coming!

  2. Ben Veenkamp says:

    I can understand why you’re wanting one of those figures. Having looked through the book and watched the video of him I’m amazed! Those figures were miles ahead of their time from the realistic facial features right down to the dexterity of the hands and fingers. Absolutely incredible.

    Good luck in your endeavour to obtain one (I hope you do).

  3. Bob Isaacson says:

    Again, what word can we use other than WOW. How wonderful that the Sanz family has preserved these wonderful figures and their history. Many thanks to them for sharing . Also excellent that the figures are in a Museum in Spain. The Artistry & Mechanization of the figures is amazing; so ahead of it’s time. Brilliant works of Art. thanks to all folks involved with our be able to view this history !

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