Over a hundred years ago the world was plunged into a global war, the likes of which no one had seen. When it was over the damage and destruction some suffered was unimaginable but a sculptor named Anna Coleman Ladd would do her best to give them their lives back.
Returning home from World War I for many soldiers meant a lifetime of isolation. Having sustained facial injuries which caused tremendous damage often compelled many to eschew contact with the outside world for fear of being ostracized by the public, not to mention their friends and family. Using her skills as a sculptor, Ladd set about recreating the soldiers faces into masks that could be worn to cover the damage.
The results were quite remarkable given the time and what she was working with.
Fascinating Before & After Pics Show How This Woman Changed Lives Of WWI Veterans By ‘Restoring’ Their Faces… https://t.co/Lzrfvu8mr3— Bored Panda (@Bored Panda) 1534185820.0
This is the true story of a sculptor who gave new faces to veterans of World War I https://t.co/W1Kuuc82s9— New York Post (@New York Post) 1534252926.0
French soldier whose face was mutilated in World War I, being fitted with a mask made at the American Red Cross stu… https://t.co/iU8zuODFbD— Marc (@Marc) 1510720009.0
@History1History Aparantly their are no know surviving examples of this artificial face mask ?— Richard Archer (@Richard Archer) 1510732401.0
Some folks recall seeing a character in HBO's BoardwalkEmpire wear a similar mask.
@History1History Makes me think of the series Boardwalk Empire again, they had a notable supporting character who w… https://t.co/epYGDKkiBY— Foksuh (@Foksuh) 1510735621.0
Remarkable work for a truly great cause.
H/T: Bored Panda, The Atlantic