Dr. Beulenpest

#2 · 2010 · Steampunk

The original steampunk plague doctor

Tom's second plague doctor mask, Dr. Beulenpest, is the original Steam Punk Plague Doctor character, created in 2010, before most people had ever heard the words "plague doctor".

When I was working on my first plague doctor mask, making it as historically accurate as was practical, I kept thinking about how I could design and construct a steampunk version of the mask. Within a week after finishing The Furst plague doctor mask I began construction on Dr. Beulenpest (which means bubonic plague). I narrowed the beak down somewhat and added a cold cast metal tip, along with leather trim. I built two different eyepieces, both of cold cast metal and with acrylic lenses.

I added an additional leather strap and buckle going around the neck to hold the mask tighter to the face, and I hand-stitched a leather surround that runs around the perimeter of the mask, using decorative domed rivets for a stronger look. I also altered the pattern a bit, giving Dr. Beulenpest a sly smile. The leather was dyed violet, then antiqued black over that to give the mask a look of antiquity.

— Tom Banwell