Fascinating Before & After Pics Show How This Woman Changed Lives Of WWI Veterans By ‘Restoring’ Their Faces
As with any other wars, World War I caused millions soldier and civilian fatalities, as well as countless injuries and disfigurement cases. For the soldiers who came back home having suffered from deformities too severe for facial reconstruction, re-entering the society was an incredibly hard task. Not only because it made their physical lives harder, but it also made them very aware of their looks and other people’s judgment.
Wartime doesn’t always bring out the worst out of humankind, as some people show great compassion and camaraderie during the hardships. One of those compassionate individuals was Anna Coleman Watts Ladd, an American sculptor who moved to France with her husband in 1917. There, she was introduced to Francis Derwent Wood, a sculptor and face mask creator who operated a “Tin Noses Shop” where he helped severely injured WWI veterans. Wood created facial prosthesis for disfigured WWI warriors, giving them a new chance at life. Inspired by his work, Ladd created her own “Studio for Portrait-Masks” where she created portrait-masks and various facial prosthetics for these soldiers in need. Needless to say, her work changed many people’s lives.
Scroll down to learn about this woman’s inspiring work, and take a look at the marvelous before and after photos of soldiers fitted with her state-of-the-art prosthesis.
More info: Rare Historical Photos | Library of Congress
Anna Coleman Watts Ladd was an American sculptor whose work changed many lives
In late 1917, Ladd was inspired by sculptor Francis Derwent Wood who created face masks for severely injured WWI warriors in his “Tin Noses Shop”
After that, Ladd founded the “Studio for Portrait-Masks” where she provided cosmetic masks for badly disfigured WWI soldiers
During this era, injured men battled with the psychological stress of worrying what people would think about their damaged appearance
The so-called mutilés were so wounded, some of their faces were barely recognizable
These victims were referred to as “the most tragic of all war’s victims” since most of them were doomed to a life of total isolation
Using her incredible talent she saved many men and changed their lives forever
In 1932, to honor her charitable work, Ladd was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by the French Government
After reading this story, many people were touched by Ladd’s incredible talent
Watch this video to learn more about Ladd’s work!
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Share on Facebookwas going to post something about relatives in WW1 - but words escape me
Load More Replies...Thanks for posting this. My wife and I were trying to remember the name of the show. We remembered the character, but couldn't remember the show.
Load More Replies...This person should be much more famous! I don't understand why her story is practically unknown to the world. Also the story of all these men risking their lives in stupid wars, fighting trauma till the end of their lives, loosing their faces and then treated like outcasts because if their injuries. How sick and cruel are humans 😢! This story made me cry. Also nowadays there are hundreds of new injured every day in so many countries and all we do is look away and build walls to protect our glossy, Disney world places - as compared to their reality we do live in a paradise, without even being enough grateful. Sigh.
Stories like this remind me why we need more history told about women and minorities. We miss hearing about so many great ppl like this one otherwise.
This story deserves to be heard regardless or her gender or race. The story of Francis Woods is also not know to a majority of the public, and his work seems equally significant to those who were misfigured as a result of the war.
Load More Replies...poor guys... Krieg ist Scheisse! Dont need to translate that, right? ;)
No, you really don't! :) Incredible true story, so sadly and terrible overlooked. Why we already don't know anything about this? I mean, history class? It should be very well known history information!
Load More Replies...I wonder what material she used for the mask. Plastics weren't around then, was resin?
I just looked her up on Wikipedia and it says the masks were made of very think copper topped with enamel paint. Pretty impressive!
Load More Replies...Amazing work. Even more so when you think about all the materials and techniques we now have that she didn't have access too, no 3d printing, I assume she's not using plastics, or even skull x-rays? The results are incredible and I imagine they helped so much. I'm off to find out more about her. Nice one Pandas.
Yeah I wonder how her work ‘evolved’, would love to see how her later faces were different from her first works!
Load More Replies...When I hear the impression "collateral damage", specially if it's about some war, it makes me wanna puke, or cry. Depends on many things.
Load More Replies...I need info on how I can find someone to do something like this for me. please help me!!!
Simply put, ahead of her time considering it was after WWI! What an artist! What a woman!!
What a great woman with an incredible talent. Words are not enough to describe what a wonderful thing she did and all the blessings she brought to the life of this poor men they lost so much while fighting for their country
What wonderful, wonderful people they were. To help so many injured men.
This is amazing. WW I was very difficult for returning soldiers. There was no VA at the time. The VA happened after WW I and became what it is very slowly.
Now the character's mask on Boardwalk Empire seems far less far-fetched.
After the Titanic drown all opposition, the Federal Reserve was formed in 1913 and War, Inc. went international. End the Effing Fed.
was going to post something about relatives in WW1 - but words escape me
Load More Replies...Thanks for posting this. My wife and I were trying to remember the name of the show. We remembered the character, but couldn't remember the show.
Load More Replies...This person should be much more famous! I don't understand why her story is practically unknown to the world. Also the story of all these men risking their lives in stupid wars, fighting trauma till the end of their lives, loosing their faces and then treated like outcasts because if their injuries. How sick and cruel are humans 😢! This story made me cry. Also nowadays there are hundreds of new injured every day in so many countries and all we do is look away and build walls to protect our glossy, Disney world places - as compared to their reality we do live in a paradise, without even being enough grateful. Sigh.
Stories like this remind me why we need more history told about women and minorities. We miss hearing about so many great ppl like this one otherwise.
This story deserves to be heard regardless or her gender or race. The story of Francis Woods is also not know to a majority of the public, and his work seems equally significant to those who were misfigured as a result of the war.
Load More Replies...poor guys... Krieg ist Scheisse! Dont need to translate that, right? ;)
No, you really don't! :) Incredible true story, so sadly and terrible overlooked. Why we already don't know anything about this? I mean, history class? It should be very well known history information!
Load More Replies...I wonder what material she used for the mask. Plastics weren't around then, was resin?
I just looked her up on Wikipedia and it says the masks were made of very think copper topped with enamel paint. Pretty impressive!
Load More Replies...Amazing work. Even more so when you think about all the materials and techniques we now have that she didn't have access too, no 3d printing, I assume she's not using plastics, or even skull x-rays? The results are incredible and I imagine they helped so much. I'm off to find out more about her. Nice one Pandas.
Yeah I wonder how her work ‘evolved’, would love to see how her later faces were different from her first works!
Load More Replies...When I hear the impression "collateral damage", specially if it's about some war, it makes me wanna puke, or cry. Depends on many things.
Load More Replies...I need info on how I can find someone to do something like this for me. please help me!!!
Simply put, ahead of her time considering it was after WWI! What an artist! What a woman!!
What a great woman with an incredible talent. Words are not enough to describe what a wonderful thing she did and all the blessings she brought to the life of this poor men they lost so much while fighting for their country
What wonderful, wonderful people they were. To help so many injured men.
This is amazing. WW I was very difficult for returning soldiers. There was no VA at the time. The VA happened after WW I and became what it is very slowly.
Now the character's mask on Boardwalk Empire seems far less far-fetched.
After the Titanic drown all opposition, the Federal Reserve was formed in 1913 and War, Inc. went international. End the Effing Fed.
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