News
Newest Face at Madame Tussaud’s: Harriet Tubman
I
n celebration of Black History Month,
today ten direct descendants and family
members of historic icon Harriet Ross
Tubman, including Charles E.T. Ross
(great-great-great nephew) and Valery Ross
Manokey (great-great niece/oldest living
descendant on eastern shore) visited The
Presidents Gallery by Madame Tussauds to
help unveil a new wax likeness of the
renowned abolitionist and conductor of the
Underground Railroad at the attraction,
1001 F Street, NW (corner of 10th and F
Streets), in washington D.C.
“Harriet Tubman was an incredible
woman whose accomplishments and contri-
butions played a pivotal role in the history
of the United States, cementing her status as
a true American icon,” said Dan Rogoski,
General Manager of The Presidents Gallery
by Madame Tussauds. “We are honored to
have Harriet Tubman’s descendants with us
today for the unveiling and induction of her
wax figure into our expanding Presidents
Gallery — an interactive journey through
America’s history.”
Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Ross,
calling herself Harriet later in life) was an
African-American abolitionist, humanitari-
an and spy for the Union during the U.S.
Civil War. After escaping from slavery, into
which she was born, she reportedly freed
more than 300 slaves via the elaborate net-
work of safe houses known as the
Underground Railroad. Tubman was born
in Dorchester County, M.D., an area from
which many of the descendants and family
members attending the event currently
reside, including Charles E.T. Ross and
Valery Ross, who live in Cambridge, M.D.
“We are ecstatic and overjoyed to see
Aunt Harriet being celebrated and receiving
recognition for her contributions to human-
ity, which is long overdue,” said Charles
Ross.
The additional family members who
attended the event include: Bernice Ross
Carney, Betty Ross and Peggy Ross (great-
great niece’s and also Valery’s sisters); Judy
Ross, Patricia Ross Hawkins, Elizabeth
Ross Stanley and Ernest D. Ross (great-
great-great nieces and nephew); and Jackie
Ross Henry (great-great-great-great niece).
Children from Washington D.C.’s Harriet
Tubman Elementary School were also on-
hand to witness the unveiling of the figure
of the historic woman for whom their
school is named.
Madame Tussauds studio artists in Lon-
don createD thE entirely new wax figure of
Harriet Tubman.
The figure-making
process is incredibly intricate taking any-
where from three to six months from start to
Ten direct descendants and family members of historic icon Harriet ross Tubman
helped launch the new exhibit in Washington, d.C.
finish.
For example, artists insert each strand of
hair individually; creating just the head of
the wax figure can take up to five weeks
alone. Materials such as red silk are used to
create the veins on the eyeballs and it can
take technicians almost four days to make a
set of teeth.
Care
Hearty food
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continued from page 10
and sliced into thin slivers
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a
9-inch round springform pan and
lightly dust with bread crumbs or
panko.
Beat the egg whites and half-and-
half in a large mixing bowl. Beat in
sugar, salt, spices, and lemon juice.
Add the flour to the milk mixture and
mix to form a thick cake batter.
Add the fruit to the batter and mix
gently just until the slices are evenly
In order to make the figures as lifelike as
possible, Madame Tussauds artists study
hundreds of photographs and when avail-
able, hours of video footage. Of course in
some cases, the artists do not have the luxu-
ry of photographs or videos (as with the
Tubman figure) and need to rely on histori-
cal accounts, even paintings.
coated. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake at 375°F for about 50 min-
utes, or until the top is well-browned.
Cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes
before unmolding. Serve warm or at
room temperature.
Per serving: 168 calories, 3g pro-
tein, 39g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 1g
fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g mono fat,
0mg cholesterol, 40mg sodium
Be sure to taste the fruit in advance
to gauge the need for sugar. Substi-
We honor the many
accomplishments of
African Americans.
tute soft fruits such as plums or nec-
tarines as well as various Asian pears
and apples.
For more recipes see “The North-
west Guide to Heart-Healthy Living”
distributed free at hundreds of local
grocery stores by Providence Heart
and Vascular Institute: www.ore-
gon.providence.org
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Caldwell’s, Hennessey, Goetsch
& McGee Funeral Home
Von D. Bailey
Funeral Director
20 NE 14th Avenue
Portland, OR 97232
503-232-4111
Fax 503-231-1586
von.bailey@sci-us.com
Page 14 The Portland Skanner February 8, 2012