Naming Contest for Plague Doctor Mask

I've had many people want my classic plague doctor mask but wished it didn't cost so much ($285). Much of the cost comes from the hours and hours of handstitching that goes into each one, so I have designed a variation that is faster to make. I have replaced most of the stitching with metal rivets, which not only lowers the price ( to $195) but gives the mask an edgy steampunk look.


I've kept the shape of the mask as close to the original as I could, so it still has a look of historical accuracy. Here is the original classic plague doctor mask on the right, and the new riveted mask on the left.

I took some photos while making it, shown here. Once the holes are cut the two-part rivets are set by hand.

Then hammered together with the ball peen hammer on a steel shoemaker's anvil.

Here is the mask all riveted together, ready for the eyepieces to be stitched in place and then painted.

And here is the completed mask all painted black and with gray acrylic lenses.

I'm holding a contest to come up with a name for the new mask. It will run until midnight PST, November 15, 2011. The winner will receive the mask pictured, which is the first one I've made. Winner will have to pay for shipping from Penn Valley, California, US. I will be sole judge to determine the winning entry.

To give you an idea of what I'm looking for, here is how I named my other steampunk plague doctor masks. Beulenpest is the German word for bubonic plague. And Ichabod is named after Ichabod Crane from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, because the long beak reminded me of a crane's. So send in your creative names for the new riveted mask (by commenting on the blog post), and maybe you will win. You may submit as many entries as you like. In the event of duplicate entries of the winning name the first posted in this blog will be the winner.

Ichabod: A New Plague Dr Mask

I have decided to create a third version of the plague doctor mask, in addition to the classic historical style, and the steampunked Dr. Beulenpest, shown below.

I have had several requests for an extended beak, and that will be one of the modifications in the new mask. In my initial sketches (shown below) the mask reminds me of a crane, and so I am calling the new piece Ichabod, in a nod to the 19th century author Washington Irving and his Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Before I can sculpt the new mask in clay I'm going need to build new eyepieces for it. Here I have lasered out several rings in acrylic sheet, which will be aligned and assembled using the brass rod. I slide each piece in the proper order over the three rods and use epoxy cement to hold them together. A stationary belt sander is used to turn the stepped bottom into a smooth angle. And here I've cemented a flange on the bottom to keep the eyepiece in place on the mask. Next step is molding it in silicone rubber.

Dr. Beulenpest: Making the Pattern

Now that the sculpt and resin beak are done I have moved on to making the pattern for the leather pieces.

Here I have finished the beak casting by removing the extra resin, and I've returned the plasticine I cut off earlier to the end of the beak.

Since the resin beak will sit atop the leather I need to extend the clay underneath it, but reduced in size to fit within the beak. I've marked in red where the leather trim will go.

Tape won't stick to plasticine, so I have covered the clay in a brushed on coating of urethane resin.

Once the resin has cured I remark my seam lines with a black Sharpie™, and then I've started covering one half of the face in blue masking tape. Since the mask is symmetrical I only need a pattern for half of it.

As the layers of tape cross one another I keep remarking the seam lines so I don't lose sight of them.

Lastly I cut the tape pattern along the lines I've marked with an X-acto knife. Ideally they should lay almost flat, and these do.

Dr. Beulenpest: Casting the Beak Tip

I have now cast two beak tips in urethane resin for Dr. Beulenpest's plague doctor mask, one for the upper beak and the other for the lower.


On the left is the rough casting right out of the mold. On the right, after it has been sanded down a bit, on its way to the final shape of the upper beak.

Here I've placed the combined beak casting onto the clay model to check that it's looking right.

In pondering more about the joint between the resin beak tip and the leather I'm thinking I need a piece of leather trim piece to ease the transition.

Dr. Beulenpest, A Steampunk Mask

My leather plague doctor mask has been very well received. I made it as true as I could to the historical model, with nothing added, but all along as I worked on it I was thinking of how I could make a steamier version. I have enough ideas to start and so I've begun creating it.


Above is my preliminary sketch. It includes cold cast resin eyepieces and beak tip, along with a leather surround studded with domed rivets.


I started by lengthening the beak (from the first one) in the plasticene model, and incorporating the eyepieces into the clay. I also altered the seams to make the mask more interesting.

Since the resin beak tip is a major change I decided to start there in the fabrication stage. Here I have simply cut off the plasticene beak. Next I hot glued a popcorn cup down around it in preparation for pouring a silicone rubber RTV mold.


Above is the clay beak partially covered in the rubber. I will add more silicone into the cup, then wait 18 hours for it to completely cure. I will cast the beak tip in resin, then shape it to how I want it. I am calling this mask Dr. Beulenpest, the German word for bubonic plague.

Plague Doctor Mask on Ebay

I have listed the Plague Doctor mask on eBay with a starting price of $25.

Plague Doctor Mask Finished

I've added the straps and darkened the color a bit, and here it is, all complete.


The mask has a strap over the top of the head to keep it from sliding down the face.


The eyes have been moved forward enough so that the wearer can easily see out of them.


This is my original sculpt in plasticene, from which I took the pattern.

Plague Doctor Mask Stained

Both lenses are in, and I've applied antiquing to the leather. I will make the mask a bit darker after the straps are attached.

Plague Doctor Mask Revised

I have altered the first pattern in several places to make this revised mask. I eliminated the center forehead seam and replaced it with two temple seams which extend to the eyes. In addition to looking cleaner it also allows the eyes to have more shape. I also added a dart to the underside of the beak so that it has a better curve.


The first picture shows the left eye being stretched open with an acrylic ring. I have also added tabs for attaching the straps with three rivets.

In the photo above I have stitched one eye lens with its leather trim into place. The darker leather is due to its being wet, which makes the hand stitching easier and lie smoother.

Plague Doctor Mask

I've recently had several requests for a Plague Doctor's mask, and as it appeals to my sense of beauty I've begun working out a pattern.


I particularly like this one shown above (which resides in a Danish museum) as inspiration, because the beak flows gently from the face, rather than looking just stuck on. Unfortunately it does have a major flaw in that the eyes are too widespread, and the wearer would scarcely be able to see out of it.


This is my first attempt, with corrected eye placement. I'll be adjusting the pattern in a couple of places and trying it again.