New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-29
PORTRAITS OF THE DEAD.
A CURIOUS FEATURE AT BELLh' 0H
now RECORDS OF CASES ARE PREsERVEp-fholo'
Y ~ RpSEE.

GRAPHING THE cORPsES'
Tn an obscure part of the BELLEVUE Hosptai yaro
tbere is a photograph gallery which has become sh
Iunortant adjunct to that institution Inc ouHu.
INC was formerly used as chemical LABORATORY AZ
now has sky-hqhts and screens, ana ali inc ap"lr
,nents of a photograph gallery including tho httle
harL ,oom. with q window of yellow glass. into
which the operator disappears with his slides Inc
photographer is O. G.. Mason. lie has long beard
which. with his round velvet cap and apron, gives
him the appearance of an alchemist OF the Shodie
Ages.
al have been here since 1868" said the photog-
rapher Before that time rare cases in the hospl-
tai were photographed by amateurs, but the results
were not satisfactory. The use of photography IN
making permanent records of the various stages Oh
diseases and of their treatment has become very
important feature of surgery-so important indeed
that it could not be easily dispensed ~ith'
Not only are patients suffering from various forms
of disease brought under the camera, but also tne
surgical instruments used, their construction anu
the method of their application"
Mr.. Mason showed the reporter series Oh pno'o'
graphs illustrating the successive stages oi MI III
portant operation. The first picture showed 'no
condition of boy who, when orousho n'o w
hospital had no nose. His mouth was uiS'oi.o oa
and partly absorbed and the hesh oene"'n 'N' -
"The BOYS face was IN bad shape aS yo" 'ee'
,ba nhotooranber continued, land the surgeons oe-
gan tn make his face over for him. Inc noA'
,cture shows how they build up 'no
lower borders of the eyes, which then nave
natural appearance. The next illustration SHOWS
the effect of the operation that was maze 70 oiinS
the lips into proper position, and widen 'hei. N0"
the next to be done was TO make nose. tno '
econs made pocket at the lower part OF 'no ioie-
head between the eyes, and after removing tne
nail from the middle finger OF the ieit manu. 'hoy
inserted 1t in the incsion and bound MS manu- W
his face. This picture here shows the posi'iVn
of tie hand at this stage VI '"0
operation. AS the hand was "oiV''
his mouth 80 that ne was not able 10 breath iiooS'
an opeuing was made, rs you see, in the trachea
and a tube inserted. After some days the hnger
was amputated just above the miudle JOINT the
nav nose WAS trimmed and made TO unite with the
Aesh OF the cheeks on either side. Quite respect
abls nose is It not That young man Is now all as
sistut In one of the city hospitals and lew persons
Uould imagine that he was wearing one vi MS MD
die fingers Oh his face.
The photographer exhibited other photographs,
showing the pest methods OF ampulatlug legs ana
arms: lhe result OF good treatment III various dis
eases and the result faulty treatments the eject
OF lead poisoning the appearance Oh the Drain ana
spinal patients suffering from the excessive
use OF alcoholic drinks the peculiar position oI Inc
body where Death has oeen caused by lockJaw, ana
other illustrations uSefuI 10 ysicians and inedlca
students. Photographs OF all important cases are
inserted in the no pltai record maAIng 1t virtually
an illustrated history.
\ The hospital photographer also takes photographs
of all the un<nown deaa VINO are brought 10 the
Morgue. lie places the CONN containing the dead
body in an upright position in an angie OF the
Moruue bulldmg and makes photograph of the
face.
do you make photographs of all undermined
bodies that come here ~ ASKED the reporter.
There are some bodies that have been so long in
Abe water that they are beyond Identification In
cases OF accident in which tue body is badly mutt
latea. | only photograph the head or face. Before
this method was aaop.ed, the bodies were exposed
in the Morgue for several days tor the purpose OF
identification. and attracted d large number OF the
lower classes, who came 70 grathY morbid curlos-
ity. Another objection has been removed
by ; this method. Sometimes 1t was IN
the interest of criminals TO have the body
of mau who had come 10 his death by violence
buried out of signt as quickly as possible, aud TO
accomplish tins they would sometimes pretend
that they had identified the body as that OF an
acquaintance. AS the photograph is placed IN the
gallery and remains there Tor months, THIS cannot
now be DONE"
"Were bodies ever thought to have been identi-
Bed when they were noGf"
The photographer pushed back his skull cap rom
bis forehead and smiled.
THAT recalls very singular case" he said.
"There was the body of a woman in the Morgue Tor
several days. Several persons came and identified
the woman and they made up purse among them
TO take the body away and bury 1t. 1t was quite @
funeral. There several carriages and the U.S. al
amount of grief some OF the female relatives taking
pn' in the most hystercal manner. have forgotten
The woman's name, but she was not dead
after all. and Mortified her family BY
returning home sound in body and in good spirits
Her friends would not believe at first that she wa
In the flesh, but thought that 1t was her spirit thai
had come back from the other world to haunt
them for some evil they had done"
Are not the bodies OF the unknown dead now
exposed in the Morguef"
VERY rarely. As soon a. the photograph of @
body is made the body IL taken away for burial"
The pictures in the gallery OF the unknown dead
,re curious collection Some OF the faces are re
markably hfelike, and give the subject the appear
ance of being simply asleep but most OF them SHOW
traces of suffering. and some are horribly distorted
o. If death had come IN violent and agonizlnt
wav. One of the most striking pictures is that o
an old man with white mar and beard H ms b FAC
xas fonnd in the North River near the Battery ant
Waiting has ever been learned Of his history. An
Seatnres and luxuriant hair Next to it is the tao
of n strikingly handsome yonng German; One fac'
was 40 contorted in death that 10 had taken OIL
the grotesque look of clown. Most OF the I'M
tnown dead belong to the lower classes
hnt not all Many of them met their death by VIC
Icnce and of course large proportion OF them ar
fonud under circumstances that warrant the belle
that thew committed suicide
Here is a man." said the photographer, pointing
to q man with Jewish type of face and long
flowing black beard, that think was murdered
He was found lying dead on common With bot
lie of bad whiskey and small rusty, pistol lyini
near him. IT q man intended taking his own life
he would have OBJ aimed better weapon than that
Identification and the mystery OF his death ha
never been cleared up"
Whose picture is this "