The Face of Dillinger...and a few Celibs

[Mike Hammer]

I have dozens of "Life Masks" in my collection, that are impressions of peoples faces while alive. But I only have one "Death Mask" and that is of John Dillinger. I recently obtained a copy, not an original and it is probably a 3rd or 4th generation copy so the details are not great. I decided to paint it lifelike as I have done with most of my lifemasks to bring as much of the available detail that you cannot see in a plain white casting. The cast of Dillinger reflected a scarred and bloated appearance by the lividity afer his shooting death by the pooling of blood in his face. He does look somewhat different from photographs known to exist of him because of the plastic surgery to his face done shortly before his death. I've also included several masks that I painted and enhanced from my Hollywood collection so here are a few faces that may be familiar to you. I have a few historical figures but unfortunately no more outlaws. I'll post more Hollywood faces if you would like to see them. For now here are Dillinger, Humphrey Bogart, Angelina Jolie, Clint Eastwood, Jennifer Connelly, Sean Connery, Salma Hayak

 

Mike Hammer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 5, 2023 by Mike Hammer

[OCM]

Outstanding. I think you have one of Helmer's copies of JD. Good work ! ( on all of them ) I used to make copies from an original death mask , used the same principal as the one as the Worsham students did, gauze , liquid rubber and plaster.

The original mold was owned buy a fellow I knew and was sold to a collector in England. ( long story)

People sometimes forget, a mold was made on the face, then set. The mold was then poured with plaster to gain the relief.

We had an eyelash hair from Dillinger that was stuck in the original rubber mold and removed later. It was in a little plastic display. Helmer had it, got it from him. DNA ?

All this is in the DC Museum now.

 

I tried doing one like Mike Hammer has done, not even close to his work.

 

Below photo is from the original mold from the 1934 mold , including the little plastic display case with one of Dillinger's eyelash hairs.

A clone someday maybe ? Little Johnnie Dillinger ?

Edited May 17, 2013 by OCM

[Mike Hammer]

Sandy, I wish I could get a 1st generation cast of Dillinger like you show here and paint it up lifelike. There are far more details in it that were later diminished as casts were made of casts, ect... It's actually pretty amazing at some of the detail that can be pulled out of some of the original castings if you work at bringing them out. The details of the Bogart cast, (made I think about the time of African Queen, circa 1950-51), and the Sean Connery cast,(made I think in '82 or near there, possibly for his last Bond film) are quite good as you can see all the lines, creases and in the case of the Connery mask, even the pores in the skin. I'm not aware of any other famous criminals that had life/death masks made of theit faces. But wait, here is another famous criminal, Jimmy Cagney, Public Enemy, this cast taken in later years.

 

Mike Hammer

[OCM]

Mike-

When I did my own castings, from the original. I would enhance the lines a bit, but as you say you loose detail with each generation beyond the original.

I had a couple copies laying around , the museum took the mold I made for display on how the original mold was made.

The original had such detail as the scars from plastic surgery, facial hair/beard follicles, eye lashes, teeth, bullet wound , things like that, very detailed.

This is a copy I did, that didn't set right in the lower jaw, I just kept it as it shows some good detail in the upper facial areas.

I gave this one to my late friend, Rick Mattix when he was here for a visit.

 

 

OCM

Edited May 16, 2013 by OCM