Overview

A history of masks protecting against bad air—in cities, factories, hospitals, and war trenches—exploring how our identities and beliefs shape the decision to wear a mask For centuries, humans have sought to protect themselves from harmful air, whether from smoke, dust, vapors, or germs. This book offers the first history of respiratory masks—ranging from simple pieces of cloth to elaborate gas masks—and explores why they have sparked both hope and fear. Bruno J. Strasser and Thomas Schlich captivate readers with stories of individuals—from renowned doctors and political leaders to forgotten inventors and anonymous factory workers—who passionately debated the value of masks. In Renaissance Italy and Meiji Japan, in Victorian Britain and Cold War America, the way societies have engaged with face coverings reveals their deepest cultural and political fractures. The Mask challenges us to reconsider how we care for one another and the kind of environment we aspire to inhabit.

Full Product Details

9780300276039

Table of Contents

Reviews

“Behind the Mask breaks new ground as the first longitudinal study of masks across the two millennia in which they have been used. Combining medical, cultural, and intellectual history, this accessible book provides a variety of new and surprising insights.”—Frank M. Snowden, author of Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present “What an absolute delight! A journey through the history of how and why masks were created to address ‘bad air’ and the numerous ways this seemingly ubiquitous technology has appeared in human history.”—Jaipreet Virdi, author of Hearing Happiness: Deafness Cures in History   “This captivating and richly illustrated book offers an ambitious and expansive history of ‘bad air,’ the plague, and approaches to widespread disease. It uses the mask—as both physical object and metaphor—to uncover and reveal, brilliantly charting a course through the intertwined histories of disease, war, the environment, and identity.”—Sharrona Pearl, author of Mask and Do I Know You?  

Author Information

Bruno J. Strasser is a historian, a full professor at the University of Geneva, and an affiliate of History of Medicine at Yale University. Thomas Schlich is the James McGill Professor in the History of Medicine at McGill University, and a former practicing physician.

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