Here is a web site with some mannequin makers and guidlelines for display. 
http://dept.kent.edu/museum/staff/mount.html#Suppliers

I have used many mannequins, and my preferences vary with the period of the 
dress. 20th century mannequin shapes will  not fit the shape needed for 
19th or 18th century dress without alot of alteration. The Wacoal 
mannequins from Japan are wonderful and have three shapes for 18th-19th 
century dress, but are expensive, around $2,000 I think. I am not sure 
about the others listed, though I have used the flexible ones, and seen 
them appear to deteriorate relatively quickly. For smaller pieces, carved 
ethafoam, covered in a thin layer of batting and muslin are very nice, as 
are supports made with buckram.

I have also found some other sites of interest:
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byform/mailing-lists/texcons/1998/05/msg00004.html
http://www.cac-accr.ca/arg_mann.html     This one will link you to an order 
form to a book on mannequins and the issues and solutions.

I hope these help you get started. There really is no simple answer, amybe 
some others here will have more suppliers.

Elizabeth Walton
www.clotheslinejournal.com



At 09:04 AM 11/25/2003, you wrote:
>Hello All!
>
>Cape Fear Museum is preparing to open a new exhibit that requires museum
>figures/mannequins to display historic clothing.  We currently use Dorfman
>museum figures, but we would like to know about other types/makes/price
>ranges as well.  So the questions are:
>
>What kind of museum figure/mannequin do you use?
>
>Do you like them?  Why or why not?
>
>Can you provide the vendor name and number so we can call for a catalogue?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Tim
>
>Timothy S. Bottoms · Registrar · Cape Fear Museum · 814 Market Street ·
>Wilmington, NC  28401 · 910.341.4350 x 3011 · 910.341.4037 (fax) ·
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