From the Archives: Restorative Face Masks for WWI Soldiers

World War I caused the death of millions of combatants and civilians, while countless soldiers suffered from injury and disfigurement. Perhaps the most disheartening were facial injuries, as soldiers had to not only deal with the physical loss, but also the constant psychological stress of wondering how people would react to their changed appearance. These men worried about their homecoming— how would strangers react, but more importantly how they would be treated by friends and family.  Surgery and skin grafting was an option for some, but many sustained injuries that went beyond the ability of surgery to repair. These unfortunate soldiers turned to portrait masks. Pioneered by English sculptor Captain Derwent Wood, and improved upon by American sculptor Anna Coleman Ladd, portrait masks were modeled from photographs taken before the injury and were painted in oils to resemble the former features of the patient. A variety of portrait masks produced by Anna Coleman Ladd. Captain Wood carried out experiments in a London hospital with the hope of finding a more permanent solution to the rubber and gelatin ears and noses that were being supplied to soldiers with extreme facial disfigurements. Wood’s experiments resulted in portrait masks that could be attached to a patient’s face and allow the patient to look more like his previous self. Captain Wood’s work reached America in 1917, and eventually came to the attention of fellow sculptor, Anna Coleman Ladd. Ladd felt ...
Source: Red Cross Chat - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: History mask red cross volunteer WWI Source Type: news