Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-27

SVTHAr did Shakespeare really
Nf look like:
There IRE various ancient
bustS and pictures OF him that evidently
lear resemblance 10 the same original.
but there is such wide divergence be-
tween them that they leave considerable
doubt OF his appearance
Now, Professor Paul Wislicenus. Of
Berlin has undertaken TO show by very
modern scientific methods. similar 10
those used by scientists in tracing crimi.
nails. that the so.calcd Becker death
mask OF Snakes peare is genuine deaf tn.
mask made from the face or the poet.
Shakespeare died in 1916. Nothing
was known Of the deathmask until 1871.
when. owing To the death Of Count
Francis kcsselstadt OF Mainz. il was
Huctioncd OF as part and parcel of
valuable art collection which belonged
20 the counts estate. II appears tina.
ne had picked it UP in England toward
tho end OF the eighteenth century.
Apparently no one suspected at the
time that the dcathmask. which.
contemporary states. received no
particular attention because of it's
melancholy expression" perpetuafed the
OF all tine. As no private collector pur-
chased it because Of its displcasing ex.
preston. il passed into the possession O,
dealc: in cUriositicS and antiques.
where, led by chain OF circumstances
to suspect that it was shakespeare
deathmask. i,ndwig Becker finally 10.
Gated II after an Odyssey of many years
II is wonderfully we'll preserved There
are in all thirty-siX real human hairs at.
n q llf IN, Il 4
ShakeSpcarc's hair was brown. 1t is a
fact well known To scientists that brown
as well as black hair turns red Or red.
Dish after tho passing Of centuries. The
hair "I IN Egyptian princess. known TO
have been brunette had turned auburn
when the body was eXhumcd by modern
Egyptoloeisis.
To make dcathmnsk the face IF the
deceased i thoroughly oiled and the
mustache or beardsiS pasted down over
the corners of the mouth 50 that the
gypsum on being removed cannot tear
away pieces of flesh a thin layer of
gypsum is then poured over the face
This Is allowed Ia harden. but must not
become wholly dry. As soon as this
layer * stiff enough To protect the face
under il another layer of gypsum is
poured over it. and when both layers
are thoroughly dry they are removed.
INV al Ia Wy al lulllDeT Oh mars, from mus
tache. eyebrows or cheek. are torn away
by the gypsum. The mould thus OBJ.
tanned Is thoroughly dried. and into it is
poured plaster of paris. that is. gypsum
OF a different consistency and much
harder than that used for the flying
mould, which must be made Of NOR
brittle material than the mask itself, as
otherwise the mask would be broken
along with the flying mould when the
latter is destroyed
The roots of the hair which adhere to
inc lying mould are seized by the plaster
OF paris which IS poured into the flying
mould. and when this is broken away
from the deathmask the hairs are cut off
by razor, except at points where hair
occurs at a point of cleavage.
1t is utterly impossible to make n fly
ing mould without tearing away a mum.
per or hairs. and conversely it is impos.
sible to fasten these hairs in a mask
which Is not deathmaSk. Such a fraud
would be absolutely impossible.
Inc best.known picture of Shake.