Anna Coleman Ladd in Her Studio
4/1918
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During World War I, weapons such as machine guns and heavy artillery had a devastating effect on the human body. With new medical breakthroughs, soldiers survived horrifying injuries, but their facial features might be torn away, leaving them without noses, eyes, or part of their jaws. Surgery could not fix every injury, and so soldiers turned to "portrait masks."
In 1917, American sculptor Anna Coleman Ladd moved from the United States to France with her husband where she was introduced to Francis Derwent Wood, a face mask creator who operated a "Tin Noses Shop." Wood inspired Ladd to create her own "Studio for Portrait-Masks." Ladd persuaded the American Red Cross to help her open her studio in Paris in 1918.
Ladd's work changed the lives of many injured veterans. Adjusting back to life after war was already extremely difficult — physically, these soldiers faced hardships, but they also feared stares and judgment due to their injuries. The masks were made of copper and silver and painted while the patient was wearing it to match the color of his face precisely. The soldiers who wore them looked as if they had not sustained great injuries. Ladd's masks even had mustaches on them. A mask was held in place by glasses; but if a soldier didn’t want glasses, Ladd used thin wire or ribbon to keep it in place.
The Red Cross described Ladd’s achievements as "miracles." She worked with many soldiers to ensure that they could adjust back to civilian life. By the end of 1919 she had created 185 masks. She donated her services to create these masks, and each soldier purchased the mask for just $18. When the war ended, the Red Cross could no longer fund her studio and it closed.
The originial caption for this photograph reads:
Mrs. Anna Colman Ladd Aiding Surgeons Remake Shell Torn Faces of Soldiers
Mrs. Anna Colman Ladd, well-known sculptor, member of the National Sculptor Society of New York, and the Boston Society of Artists is hard at work in her Paris studio aiding surgeons remake shell torn faces of soldiers.
Much has been done in the facial surgery, and the sculptor joins hands with the doctor in working on the reconstruction of the shattered faces of the wounded heroes. Often when the jaw is badly shattered and the nose is completely torn away, and the rest of the face mutilated apparently beyond all hope, these skilled doctors and surgeons come to the rescue, and perform the miracle of remaking the face as good as new.
Mrs. Ladd, famed as a sculptor, of unusual talent, has achieved miracles which the American Red Cross has been quick to see and encourage.
This series of pictures shows the success of her work.
The masks are made of copper and silver and are painted the same shade as the patients face after being adjusted.
In 1917, American sculptor Anna Coleman Ladd moved from the United States to France with her husband where she was introduced to Francis Derwent Wood, a face mask creator who operated a "Tin Noses Shop." Wood inspired Ladd to create her own "Studio for Portrait-Masks." Ladd persuaded the American Red Cross to help her open her studio in Paris in 1918.
Ladd's work changed the lives of many injured veterans. Adjusting back to life after war was already extremely difficult — physically, these soldiers faced hardships, but they also feared stares and judgment due to their injuries. The masks were made of copper and silver and painted while the patient was wearing it to match the color of his face precisely. The soldiers who wore them looked as if they had not sustained great injuries. Ladd's masks even had mustaches on them. A mask was held in place by glasses; but if a soldier didn’t want glasses, Ladd used thin wire or ribbon to keep it in place.
The Red Cross described Ladd’s achievements as "miracles." She worked with many soldiers to ensure that they could adjust back to civilian life. By the end of 1919 she had created 185 masks. She donated her services to create these masks, and each soldier purchased the mask for just $18. When the war ended, the Red Cross could no longer fund her studio and it closed.
The originial caption for this photograph reads:
Mrs. Anna Colman Ladd Aiding Surgeons Remake Shell Torn Faces of Soldiers
Mrs. Anna Colman Ladd, well-known sculptor, member of the National Sculptor Society of New York, and the Boston Society of Artists is hard at work in her Paris studio aiding surgeons remake shell torn faces of soldiers.
Much has been done in the facial surgery, and the sculptor joins hands with the doctor in working on the reconstruction of the shattered faces of the wounded heroes. Often when the jaw is badly shattered and the nose is completely torn away, and the rest of the face mutilated apparently beyond all hope, these skilled doctors and surgeons come to the rescue, and perform the miracle of remaking the face as good as new.
Mrs. Ladd, famed as a sculptor, of unusual talent, has achieved miracles which the American Red Cross has been quick to see and encourage.
This series of pictures shows the success of her work.
The masks are made of copper and silver and are painted the same shade as the patients face after being adjusted.
This primary source comes from the Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs.
National Archives Identifier: 45532721
Full Citation: Photograph 165-WW-429P-1224; Anna Coleman Ladd; 4/1918; Personnel - P1200 through P1299; American Unofficial Collection of World War I Photographs, 1917 - 1918; Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs, Record Group 165; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/anna-coleman-ladd, June 12, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
