25 Death Masks Of Historically Important People That Are As Fascinating As They Are Creepy
Mike Spohr
·8-min read
Death masks — made out of a wax or plaster cast put on a dead person's face — have long been part of human history. Below, morgue workers make a death mask of notorious Depression-era gangster John Dillinger, who died in a shootout with FBI agents on July 22, 1934.
Here's what Dillinger's finished death mask looked like (note the bullet hole captured under his right eye):
For comparison, here's a photo of Dillinger in life next to his death mask:
Death masks were most popular from the Middle Ages through the middle of the 20th century, but they were also made earlier, including in Ancient Rome. Death masks shouldn't be confused with funeral masks — like the ones in Ancient Egypt — which were not made from casts of the deceased's face but by an artist.
Interesting, right? Here are 24 death masks of historically important people:
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