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WILLIAM
TAUCH
The Fayetteville Photographer
and His Sculptor Daughter
by John Troesser
( Illustrated with 5 vintage photos ) |
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The
Tauchs in happier times
(William in his Volunteer Fire Dept Uniform)
Courtesy Fayette Heritage Museum & Archives |
In
the middle of the 1890s, a man named William Tauch was mayor of Fayetteville.
Since Fayetteville
has never demanded too much of the mayor's time, William filled in
the rest of his hours by being the town photographer.
William suffered from "Small town Photographer's Syndrome." This was
a common malady of the times. Whenever the photographer felt he was
about to be overcome by fumes from the chemicals - he would reach
into his back pocket for the antidote which came in small brown bottles
and was sold nearly everywhere.
Mrs. Tauch was worried that he was taking too much antidote. But she
had another concern which was the time he spent alone indoors with
other women. She was afraid something might develop besides photographs.
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Tauch
(kneeling with real mustache) in a play with the Mai Brothers
Courtesy Fayette Heritage Museum & Archives |
She
thought long and hard about how to let her husband know how she felt.
She decided that cutting her throat in public might do the trick.
She did it. In front of the house, the children and most of the town.
That got Mr. Tauch's attention.
He stopped self-medicating and moved to Schulenburg.
Mrs. Tauch missed her jugular and recovered, but wore high collars
thereafter. They later moved to Flatonia
and then to Brady
where their daughter Waldine exhibited her talent for sculpting.
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The
Tauch Family. Standing: Emma (left) and Waldine
Courtesy Fayette Heritage Museum & Archives |
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Waldine
was so impressed by the detail in an ivory letter opener that she
carved an elephant's head in chalk. It was noticed by a neighbor
and shortly thereafter she was asked to form a centerpiece (in butter)
for The Brady Tuesday Study Club's luncheon. The group, recognized
talent when they saw it and collected money to send her to San
Antonio to study under the world-renowned sculptor Pompeo
Coppini.
Coppini was so impressed with her that he taught her gratis when
her tuition ran out. He and his wife asked to legally adopt Waldine,
even though she was technically full-grown by this time. Coppini
taught her on the condition that she must never wed. She never did
and she worked until she was in her 80s.
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Waldine
and Emma (first seated girls on log (left)
Courtesy Fayette Heritage Museum & Archives |
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Sample
Photograph from The Tauch Studio in Fayetteville:
A wedding "Cabinet Card" from the 1890s. Note imprint at
bottom. Click on photo for larger image
From TE photo archives |
Today
her sculptures and statues are found in San
Antonio, Austin,
Canton, Dallas
and Brownwood
as well as other towns across Texas.
An example of her work can be seen by clicking on the Canton
page. The monument at Cost
near Gonzales
is by Waldine Tauch as well as Pippa Passes on the Baylor University
campus.
© John Troesser
Personal Interview with Martha Tauch, Flatonia, Texas, November, 1999
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Readers'
Forum:
Subject: Waldine Tauch
I read with interest
your article on Waldine Tauch and her father. Thank you for this.
However, I would point out that seven Tauch pieces are part of our
collection, including the original plasters from which the bronzes
were cast for the Texas Ranger, Pippa Passes, Higher Education, and
Buckner Group. Tauch had a special relationship with Panhandle-Plains
as she also left twelve Pompeo Coppini pieces to PPHM as well. You
might add Canyon
and Burnet
(Buckner Children's Home) to the places one can see her work.
Keep up the good work about Texas.
- Respectfully, Michael R. Grauer, Curator of Art Panhandle-Plains
Historical Museum, Canyon, Texas, September 23, 2005 |
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