Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-11-09
THE DE.iTU-MASK.
How to Preserve an Exact Copy
of Familiar Features.
Some OF tho Difficulties Encountered BY
the ulptor-Disacr~rsbl" Parts OF
the Operation Masks Made from
Living Peoples

Some OF tho Difficulties Encountered BY
the ptor-Disacr~eable Parts OF
the Operation Masks Made from
Living Peoples
1t is a common practice when we'll
known people die to have 4 sculptor
make 4 death mask, says the San Fran
/ cisco Chronicle, the LEA being to pre-
serve an exact copy Of the familiar
features. The taking of this photo
graph of the dead is an interesting proc
ess.
| If it is decided to have 4 death mask
made no time should be lost after the
/ dcceaSe. In the case of General Grant,
when it was we'll known that death
could not be STAYED off. arrangements
were made to have a sculptor in the
/ house of Mount Mctircgor SO that the
mask could he taken at once after he
expired. The programme was carried
out and the bust which resulted was
pronounced. even by the great generals
nearest relatives, the most perfect like
ness ever made Of him.
A mask is always made when bust
or medallion portrait is needed, as it
gives the exact proportions of the face,
reproducing the relative positions Of
the bones, which, of course, do not
change in death.
The first thing to be done by sculp-
tor when taking a mask is to close the
| eyes, and if possible, the mouth also.
Any little openings are filled with cot
| ton, wool, soft rags, etc, and thus the
nose and ears and the mouth are gently
packed without in any way disturbing
the contour. The face and as much OF
the head as it is necessary to take is
then covered with sweet oil or some
unguent laid on pretty thick, the object
being to prevent the plaster adhering
10 the skin or hair. The necessity of
this precaution is evident, especially
| when it is remembered how shocking
any laceration of the features would be
to the friends Of the deceased, caused
as it might be by the forcible removal
Of plaster. IT
Down the center line Of the face 3
strong silk thread is laid and then the
laying on Of the plaster is commenced.
The white, fresh plaster is mixed in Q
bowl close at hand and is laid on the
face in a thin layer, not more than
three-quarters of an inch thick. If it
| were put on at once Of the full thick
ness necessary to use the mask as .
mould the weight might press in the
face and distort the features. Just
before this thin layer has quite set the
silk cord is drawn up, dividing the
mask into two parts along the center
line Of the face. Perhaps it may not be
evident why the mask should be made
in halves, but q little consideration will
suggest the reason.
The width of the face behind the
cheek bones is less than across them,
and if the mask were removed whole it
would be at the risk of tearing the face
in passing over the cheek bones at the
| points of articulation Of the jaws. As
soon Is the thin layer has become SUI
ficiently firm to carry additional
weight without pressing on the face
more plaster is put on until . thickness
of an inch to an inch and half has
been attained. The silken cord which
has been used to separate the first thin
layers is again brought into requisition,
or, rather, has never been removed
from its position along the center Of
the face except to make the division.
Just before the entire cast sets this
cord is drawn up through the whole
thickness Of plaster, and SO the halves
of the cast are formed. 1t requires
about half an hour for the plaster to
set firmly enough to remove and then
the work is finished,
The cotton wool is removed from the
nose, ears and mouth, and the oil is
carefully wiped of, SO as to leave no
traces whatever Of the work which has
been accomplished. 1t need hardly be
pointed out that the sculptor covers the
pillows, clothes, ETC., with cloths to
prevent splashes Of plaster or oil being
left on them.
When the cast has been secured the
next operation is to make the mask
from it. This is done in the sculptor's
studio. and he usually lets the cast lie
for day or SO, until the plaster has be-
come quite hard and dry. Forming .
bed Of fresh plaster, the sculptor inserts
one-hsf Of the cast in it, the hollow or
impression side up; then the other half
is put in, bringing the sections severed
by the silken cord together. The out
side bed Of plaster sets hard and the
cast is again an entirety. The interior
Of the cast before making the mask is
thoroughly soaked in water and then it
is coated with q composition Of soap,
oil and stearine, different sculptors
using their own preparations. Moist
plaster is poured in and the sculptor
lifts the bed and mold in his hands turn
ing it in such way that the white
liquid fills every corner. With the aid
Of his spattle he works in more plaster
until thickness of about one and a-half
inches has been attained. A wire loop
is inserted in the border of the mask so
that it can be hung up and the whole is
left TO dry and harden. As soon as this
is accomplished the sculptor knocks the
cast or mold of. piece by piece, dig
ging away the bed and freeing the
mask. The bust must be modelled in
clay. The mask is hung ut a convenient
height, close to the sculptor's table or
tripod, the skeleton frame is built and
then the modelling is undertaken. To
aid the sculptor several photographs, if
obtainable, are very useful, and If one Of
these is correct profile and the other .
full face SO much the better.
Occasionally masks Of living people
are made, especially when the person
to be represented is unable to give q
number of sittings to the sculptor. In
this case the mask is taken, and with
the aid Of photographs the bust is mod
eled in clay until but a single sitting
will suffice to put the finishing touches
and illuminate the face with that ex-
preston most generally recognized by
The sitter's friends and associates. The
3est method, however, is to sit for tho
sculptor Is often as he may REQUIRE.
New Use for Rubber.
Good results are obtained by using
rubber in connection with an anchor
rope in equalizing and relieving strain
in dredging, and in measuring the
depth and swiftness Of currents. For
merly . severe strain was caused by q
sudden jerking in . pitching vessel.
This is now overcome by what is called
. rubber accumulation, which consists
Of seventy rubber discs or buffers on .
middle rod, so arranged that by COM
preston they act as spring. The
buyers are cylindrical in shape, two
and one-quarter inches in thickness,
| and separated from one another by