Turns Out, CPR Doll’s Face Is A Copy Of 19th Century Drowned Woman’s Face
You’d probably be surprised how many everyday objects and common things have ridiculous, bizarre, or even hilarious origin stories. Like the stethoscope! This ingenious piece of medical equipment, which became an inseparable part of a doctor’s image, was actually invented under quite amusing circumstances. Back in the day (the 19th century, to be precise), when doctors would rely on laying their ears on the patients body to hear their heartbeat, one physician, Rene Laennec, felt uncomfortable examining a female patient that close, so he took a piece of paper, rolled it up and, voila! Your first stethoscope was created!
“L’Inconnue de la Seine” was a woman whose death mask fascinated hundreds and saved thousands
However, some interesting stories have much grimmer beginnings. L’Inconnue de la Seine is a morbid icon in the art world, a death mask that feels uncanny to look at as it combines two things that usually don’t belong together. A portrait of a dead person and an utter sense of peace.
Although the exact origins are unknown, it is widely believed that the unidentified young woman whose death mask fascinated hundreds and saved thousands, was likely a victim of suicide. The story says that her body was pulled out of the River Seine in the late 1880s and showed no signs of violence, thus the suicide claim. Considering the state of her skin and features, some specialists have estimated the girl’s age to be no greater than 16 years. The pathologist at the Paris Morgue was reportedly so fascinated by the beautiful woman that he made a wax death mask.
Image credits: Nicolas Halftermeyer
The pathologist wasn’t the only person charmed by her calmness and beauty as numerous copies of the death mask were created, to the point where many Parisians kept it at home as a fashionable morbid fixture. Some people dwelled on the expression on the girls face. Famously, Albert Camus compared the girl’s smile to that of Mona Lisa’s, inviting many speculations about her status, circumstances, and death.
Image credits: Megan Rosenbloom
The image spread widely through history, inspiring many art pieces, stories, and novels. Some historians and scholars even note that The Unknown Woman of the Seine was a fashion icon with women trying to model their looks on her.
Image credits: Richard Jonkman
Image credits: George Hodan
Peter Safar and Asmund Laerdal, the creators of the first aid mannequin Resusci Anne, chose the Seine woman’s death mask as the face of the CPR procedure doll. As the mannequin was used for practicing CPR steps, L’Inconnue de la Seine has been dubbed the most kissed face of all time.
Image credits: Till Krech
Image credits: John Haslam
We’re all aware that the CPR mannequin is not alive. But not many realize how actually dead it is. Quite a horrifying thought!
Image credits: Phil Parker
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Share on FacebookYou have to wonder what her life was like, that death created an expression of such sublime contentment.
She's an enigmatic mystery. So serene. And she'll never know how important her face has become.
Load More Replies...Um, first of all, doing CPR is not kissing a person. Second, it's creepy how fascinated so many men were with the face of a dead girl. Third, I don't really care whose face it is on the CPR dummy, but I think it's interesting that we only have male chest CPR dummies, but the face of a woman?
St Johns ambulance first aid have stopped teaching the "kissing" part. 1: The movement of the chest with the compressions also moves air. 2: the mouth to mouth was the part that was hardest to get right. 3: It is more important to keep the heart compressions going in a rhythm.
Load More Replies...* stethoscopes became popular amongst doctors because it meant they didn't get fleas from their patients.
Real boobs move to the side, plastic ones don't. You lace your fingers, and press on the sternum, not flat hand her boob lol
Yes. Thank you, Leanne, for saying what I’ve been thinking since reading the first post from someone who obviously has zero knowledge of the subject. People forget that those receiving CPR will be laying on their backs, and parts of the human body shift when laying down. A little extra thought and it would’ve ((hopefully) dawned on them.
Load More Replies...I learned this story during a CPR course in high school. It was mandatory that all juniors/seniors (16-18 years old) took this course. As for the poor girl, the police must have gotten her body out of the Seine relatively soon after her demise. I've seen... other... pictures of drowning victims, and yikes! No bueno!
Very interesting. Now when I go to CPR class... I'LL FREAK... nah, it's a great tidbit.
Don't freak matey. Bust that awesome trivia out and get to it. Lol
Load More Replies...Wow. This ... this is fascinating. I had no idea even through I also worked on (and "kissed") the “the most kissed face” in high school and took part on a Red Cross competition with my team way back in high school (it was long ago and I should take a refresher course) ... but we didn't use any dolls when I took my driving test which I found a bit weird and sad (that part of classes and test was only theory)
I am an Ambulance officer and in my practice, CPR is well used to try and save sometimes life, so I like that someone has brought up the fact that there are generally only flat chested Anne mannequins, because in reality there is quite a big difference doing quality chest compressions on a flat chested person to that of a large perky-breasted woman. Sure, the CPR procedure is basically the same, but it is definitely much harder to get your hand placement exactly right when there are large breasts that take up most of the chest area. I've never attempted resuscitation on anyone with silicone breast implants. I wonder if that would also hinder our CPR ability, due to how the implants would change the way the breasts would be positioned upwards, compared to someone without who's breasts are probably more prone to laying flat when the patient is laying supine on the floor?
Oh come on dear people..... Why do you have to ruin this story, by pulling the "sexualizing" card..... Getting so fed up with this. Actually part of the story.,that I missed, is that the girl committed suïcide because she fell in love and the guy didn't share her feelings. She died without even being kissed once. So please stop whining about proper cpr procedures and appreciate the story. And yes Cpr doesnt have to include mouth to mouth because of the compression of the thorax.
I'm not certain what individuals believe when they use another beings existence rather living or circumstances of not to do things for, financial aid. I think such a thing is grotesque and odd, how do you know if this being would appreciate such to occur after their last breathe. Some individuals have no respect for others not while living nor gone. I'm sick of scrolling through this site and looking at this beings less than and helpless. Goodness of the creator God bless you!
I kissed this woman over 45 years ago. I used it a couple of times. Her kiss has saved millions!
thanx for that story. Really touching and enlightning ... the weired fact is not, that this woman´s face ended up as a cpr doll, who you want to save, because she actually died by drowning into water and she looks like someone, who you want to save - but the fact that people saw in her something loveable you want to have as a part of decoration at Parisians homes ... What people are able to fall into love with ... maybe we are not used to deal with death anymore ...
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Well this makes what Dwight did a little more disturbing than it was. The writers definitely had to know this.
Wow, I am fascinated by this story as a doctor and ALS provider. The fact that the doll is dead just popped up to my mind and will not go away. Great post.
I am a CPR Trainer assistant like 10 years ago.. I each course, my doctor always says that the girl is live after the drowning incident in Siene... And even marry to the man that give her mouth-to-mouth breathing. Dunno which one is right..
I'd say this version is the most accurate, medically speaking a near-drowning incident can be survived, but it genuinely only takes a few minutes to die in the water and go from a "near-drowning" to a full-on drowning, the risks of brain damage from hypoxia, and infections in the lungs, especially in that period, before antibiotics and when water was much dirtier than it is today....that romantic version is nice, but not likely.
Load More Replies...What I learned from this text is that the 19th century was a very bizarre time.
Their fascination with death and morbid things (go to an antique place and you'll see plenty of mementoes made out of the decedent's hair) in the 19th century rivals that of medieval times. Bizarre!
Load More Replies...We had one at home as dad was a paramedic. She was called Annie. I learnt resuscitation and CPR on her at age 4or5. She was folded in half in a big suitcase, kept outside my bedroom. I used to think she'd come alive hahaha. I can still feel the weird floppy latex nose she had. arrghhh.
Notice how her hair is cut short; in her day and age, this would have meant that she had just sold the last of her worldly possessions to a wigmaker. All that remained for her to look forward to was a life of disease and humiliation as a prostitute. Perhaps the smile is for her pimp, who would be deprived of a source of income.
It wasn’t cut short. It was smoothed down around the face, loosely twisted under, swept behind her ears, and incorporated into a bun or chignon in back. A little hair oil kept it in place and prevented flyaways. If you look at pictures of hairstyles from the 1860s, you’ll see it. In the early 1830s, women kept the hair around their faces down and curled, by Victoria’s coronation they were braiding it and wrapping it under and behind their ears. By the 1860s, the loose or braided side hair was no longer a separate feature from the bun or chignon in back. You are correct about selling long hair for wigs, though. Poor women who had nothing else to sell (before or after their bodies) did sell their hair in desperation. However, there were also a couple years during the Georgian Era when short hair for women was in style, though only the wealthy and titled could pull it off. Also, when a woman had a fever that refused to break, her hair was often cut short in an attempt to cool her down.
Load More Replies...1. Resuscitation Council UK advise against using any song for resuscitation purposes. everyone sings at their own speed! 2. Peter Basket (RIP) a consultant aneasatist at Bristol Frenchay Hospital first researched the compression only CPR over 25 years ago it has taken that long to become recognised as a benefit! 3. Mouth to Mouth still taught but more emphasis on chest compressions and defribrillation!
The cpr doll was invented by some guy when his daughter drowned he wanted to teach people how to save life’s to avoid other people’s children from drowning and no one knowing what to do, he copied his daughters face on the cpr dolls the cpr dolls are also called Ann because that was the name of his daughter (benefits of being in a cadet force)
You say your belief system would not allow you to comment, yet...off on a tangent you go...
Load More Replies...You have to wonder what her life was like, that death created an expression of such sublime contentment.
She's an enigmatic mystery. So serene. And she'll never know how important her face has become.
Load More Replies...Um, first of all, doing CPR is not kissing a person. Second, it's creepy how fascinated so many men were with the face of a dead girl. Third, I don't really care whose face it is on the CPR dummy, but I think it's interesting that we only have male chest CPR dummies, but the face of a woman?
St Johns ambulance first aid have stopped teaching the "kissing" part. 1: The movement of the chest with the compressions also moves air. 2: the mouth to mouth was the part that was hardest to get right. 3: It is more important to keep the heart compressions going in a rhythm.
Load More Replies...* stethoscopes became popular amongst doctors because it meant they didn't get fleas from their patients.
Real boobs move to the side, plastic ones don't. You lace your fingers, and press on the sternum, not flat hand her boob lol
Yes. Thank you, Leanne, for saying what I’ve been thinking since reading the first post from someone who obviously has zero knowledge of the subject. People forget that those receiving CPR will be laying on their backs, and parts of the human body shift when laying down. A little extra thought and it would’ve ((hopefully) dawned on them.
Load More Replies...I learned this story during a CPR course in high school. It was mandatory that all juniors/seniors (16-18 years old) took this course. As for the poor girl, the police must have gotten her body out of the Seine relatively soon after her demise. I've seen... other... pictures of drowning victims, and yikes! No bueno!
Very interesting. Now when I go to CPR class... I'LL FREAK... nah, it's a great tidbit.
Don't freak matey. Bust that awesome trivia out and get to it. Lol
Load More Replies...Wow. This ... this is fascinating. I had no idea even through I also worked on (and "kissed") the “the most kissed face” in high school and took part on a Red Cross competition with my team way back in high school (it was long ago and I should take a refresher course) ... but we didn't use any dolls when I took my driving test which I found a bit weird and sad (that part of classes and test was only theory)
I am an Ambulance officer and in my practice, CPR is well used to try and save sometimes life, so I like that someone has brought up the fact that there are generally only flat chested Anne mannequins, because in reality there is quite a big difference doing quality chest compressions on a flat chested person to that of a large perky-breasted woman. Sure, the CPR procedure is basically the same, but it is definitely much harder to get your hand placement exactly right when there are large breasts that take up most of the chest area. I've never attempted resuscitation on anyone with silicone breast implants. I wonder if that would also hinder our CPR ability, due to how the implants would change the way the breasts would be positioned upwards, compared to someone without who's breasts are probably more prone to laying flat when the patient is laying supine on the floor?
Oh come on dear people..... Why do you have to ruin this story, by pulling the "sexualizing" card..... Getting so fed up with this. Actually part of the story.,that I missed, is that the girl committed suïcide because she fell in love and the guy didn't share her feelings. She died without even being kissed once. So please stop whining about proper cpr procedures and appreciate the story. And yes Cpr doesnt have to include mouth to mouth because of the compression of the thorax.
I'm not certain what individuals believe when they use another beings existence rather living or circumstances of not to do things for, financial aid. I think such a thing is grotesque and odd, how do you know if this being would appreciate such to occur after their last breathe. Some individuals have no respect for others not while living nor gone. I'm sick of scrolling through this site and looking at this beings less than and helpless. Goodness of the creator God bless you!
I kissed this woman over 45 years ago. I used it a couple of times. Her kiss has saved millions!
thanx for that story. Really touching and enlightning ... the weired fact is not, that this woman´s face ended up as a cpr doll, who you want to save, because she actually died by drowning into water and she looks like someone, who you want to save - but the fact that people saw in her something loveable you want to have as a part of decoration at Parisians homes ... What people are able to fall into love with ... maybe we are not used to deal with death anymore ...
═╦═╩═╦═╩═╦═╩═╦═╩═╦═╩ ═╩═╦▄▄██████▄▄═╦═╩═╦ ═╦▄███████████▌╩═╦═╩ ═▐█████████████▌═╩═╦ ═███▀████▀▀████▌═╦═╩ ═██───▀▀────▀███═╩═╦ ═█───────────███═╦═╩ ═▌▄███──▄███──██═╩═╦ ═▌──▀────▀────▀▌═╦═╩ ═▌────▌────────▐═╩═╦ ═▐──────────────▐▄▄▄ ▄▄▐───██──────────── ──────────────────── ────────────────────
Well this makes what Dwight did a little more disturbing than it was. The writers definitely had to know this.
Wow, I am fascinated by this story as a doctor and ALS provider. The fact that the doll is dead just popped up to my mind and will not go away. Great post.
I am a CPR Trainer assistant like 10 years ago.. I each course, my doctor always says that the girl is live after the drowning incident in Siene... And even marry to the man that give her mouth-to-mouth breathing. Dunno which one is right..
I'd say this version is the most accurate, medically speaking a near-drowning incident can be survived, but it genuinely only takes a few minutes to die in the water and go from a "near-drowning" to a full-on drowning, the risks of brain damage from hypoxia, and infections in the lungs, especially in that period, before antibiotics and when water was much dirtier than it is today....that romantic version is nice, but not likely.
Load More Replies...What I learned from this text is that the 19th century was a very bizarre time.
Their fascination with death and morbid things (go to an antique place and you'll see plenty of mementoes made out of the decedent's hair) in the 19th century rivals that of medieval times. Bizarre!
Load More Replies...We had one at home as dad was a paramedic. She was called Annie. I learnt resuscitation and CPR on her at age 4or5. She was folded in half in a big suitcase, kept outside my bedroom. I used to think she'd come alive hahaha. I can still feel the weird floppy latex nose she had. arrghhh.
Notice how her hair is cut short; in her day and age, this would have meant that she had just sold the last of her worldly possessions to a wigmaker. All that remained for her to look forward to was a life of disease and humiliation as a prostitute. Perhaps the smile is for her pimp, who would be deprived of a source of income.
It wasn’t cut short. It was smoothed down around the face, loosely twisted under, swept behind her ears, and incorporated into a bun or chignon in back. A little hair oil kept it in place and prevented flyaways. If you look at pictures of hairstyles from the 1860s, you’ll see it. In the early 1830s, women kept the hair around their faces down and curled, by Victoria’s coronation they were braiding it and wrapping it under and behind their ears. By the 1860s, the loose or braided side hair was no longer a separate feature from the bun or chignon in back. You are correct about selling long hair for wigs, though. Poor women who had nothing else to sell (before or after their bodies) did sell their hair in desperation. However, there were also a couple years during the Georgian Era when short hair for women was in style, though only the wealthy and titled could pull it off. Also, when a woman had a fever that refused to break, her hair was often cut short in an attempt to cool her down.
Load More Replies...1. Resuscitation Council UK advise against using any song for resuscitation purposes. everyone sings at their own speed! 2. Peter Basket (RIP) a consultant aneasatist at Bristol Frenchay Hospital first researched the compression only CPR over 25 years ago it has taken that long to become recognised as a benefit! 3. Mouth to Mouth still taught but more emphasis on chest compressions and defribrillation!
The cpr doll was invented by some guy when his daughter drowned he wanted to teach people how to save life’s to avoid other people’s children from drowning and no one knowing what to do, he copied his daughters face on the cpr dolls the cpr dolls are also called Ann because that was the name of his daughter (benefits of being in a cadet force)
You say your belief system would not allow you to comment, yet...off on a tangent you go...
Load More Replies...
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