He chose suede and leather for his masks because of the playful, spooky way those materials echoed the ones used by the original plague doctors.

The crow-like plague-doctor mask of 17th- and 18th-century Europe is one of the earliest and creepiest protective coverings. Often paired with an equally unsettling leather ensemble and hat, its ...

The Plague Doctor’s eerie beak mask was designed to protect against “evil” smells thought to cause disease. But the truth behind this creepy costume will shock you! Discover the medically ...

During the outbreak of the bubonic plague in Italy in the 1650s, it was believed that the doctors taking care of the sick would dawn these masks in addition to long garb and wide-brimmed leather ...

Today, the beaked plague doctor mask still appears in Venetian carnival costumes but is otherwise retired, while the concept of masking up against contagion continues to generate controversy.

She says one particular mask is selling big this fall. “That plague doctor mask with the pointy nose, it’s brown,” Cameron says.

But stuffed with strong-smelling substances—ambergris, mint, rose petals—the plague doctor's mask actually embodies both practical and erroneous responses to the spreading pandemic.

Take it from me, there's nothing like a stylish, historical plague doctor's mask to spice up your love life. Slap on a couple of these babies, then show up at random mansions wearing black robes ...

The plague doctor ensemble dates back to 17th-century Europe when physicians wore the mask filled with perfume in a mistaken belief the fumes would protect them.

Why Plague Doctors Wore Strange Masks It’s the beak that lends the attire of the medieval plague doctor its surreal quality, but it wasn’t there just to scare ...