Disfigurement Collection

Portrait of Hendrik IV of Naaldwijk, Knight and Hereditary Marshall of Holland, c.1500-c.1506. Creator: Anon
Portrait of Hendrik IV of Naaldwijk, Knight and Hereditary Marshall of Holland, c.1500-c.1506

Claxton ear cap advert
An advert for Claxton ear cap. Worn by babies and young children as they slept, this pink ribbon ear cap was ??for correcting and preventing the disfigurement of outstanding ears?

Grotesque Head, Man with Goitre (red chalk)
FIT58214 Grotesque Head, Man with Goitre (red chalk) by Ribera, Jusepe de (lo Spagnoletto) (1591-1652); Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, UK; eFitzwilliam Museum; Italian, out of copyright

Cutting Off the Nose (Modern Military Punishments), after 1725. Creator: William Hogarth
Cutting Off the Nose (Modern Military Punishments), after 1725

Leon Dufourmentel, French surgeon C016 / 4586
Leon Dufourmentel (1884-1957), French surgeon. Dufourmentel was a specialist in reconstructive maxillofacial surgery. During World War I

Masks for disfigured soldiers, 1918 C016 / 4513
Masks for disfigured soldiers. US sculptress Anna Coleman Ladd (1878-1939) working on a mask for a disfigured French soldier of World War I (1914-1918)

Milton / Comus 1634
And they, so perfect is their misery, Not once perceive their foul disfigurement, But boast themselves more comely than before. Date: First published : 1634

Thomas Brown (Dettingen)
THOMAS BROWN Soldier who distinguished himself at the battle of Dettingen, 27 June 1743

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Throughout history, disfigurement has been a source of fascination, fear, and compassion. From the grotesque heads of art, like Hogarth's "Cutting Off the Nose" and Milton's "Comus," to the real-life disfigurements caused by war, such as those depicted in masks for disfigured soldiers in 1918, the human condition's imperfections have been captured in various forms of art and history. Claxton's ear cap advertisement and the man with a goitre in red chalk serve as reminders of the physical transformations that can occur due to disease or injury. The emancipated slaves brought from Louisiana by Colonel George H. Banks in 1863 and the surgeries performed by Leon Dufourmentel in Europe bear witness to the disfigurement's impact on individuals and society. Though disfigurement may be seen as a source of shame or stigma, it is essential to remember that it is a part of the human experience, and those affected deserve compassion, understanding, and acceptance.