The Mask

A history of masks protecting against bad airin cities, factories, hospitals, and war trenchesexploring 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 masksranging from simple pieces of cloth to elaborate gas masksand explores why they have sparked both hope and fear. Bruno J. Strasser and Thomas Schlich captivate readers with stories of individualsfrom renowned doctors and political leaders to forgotten inventors and anonymous factory workerswho 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.