THE MAKING OF A PLASTER MOLD...
In this concise video, you will witness the step-by-step process of creating a plaster 'Lifecast.' The clip highlights four key aspects:
- Utilizing a bathing cap to protect the hair.
- Employing Alginate to capture a facial impression.
- The application of hair conditioner on the eyebrows.
- The use of bandages to establish the supportive structure for the flexible alginate mask.
In my conversations with Paul Lawson, he outlined several steps, including the construction of an armature, which serves as the framework to maintain the upper body's position. Paul did not mention the use of a skull or a bathing cap.
The video demonstrates the use of hair conditioner as a release agent for the eyebrows, even though Alginate, the initial layer, inherently doesn't adhere to surfaces. To mitigate any potential hair entanglement, particularly in facial hair, Paul applied mortuary soap to smoothen the hair on the head and eyebrows. Consequently, and she would not have known this, it's improbable that the hair samples collected by Janette Edson, the University of Adelaide specialist in Hair analysis, actually came from the man's head; they more likely originated from the plaster mix used to fill the mold and therefore shape the bust.
In this link, you will find a description of how hair is treated in order for it not to get entangled with the alginate mask. What they do is the same as Paul Lawson did when making the mold, they used a cholesterol product and Paul used mortuary soap to block fill the hair. This means that hair would not have been present in the bust itself, it was present only in the plaster mix which contained hair as a strengthening agent.
History of Human Hair In Plaster Mixes
The application of plaster in various artistic and construction contexts has a rich historical background. During the mid-20th century, plaster found widespread use in molding and casting. Notably, in the 1940s, artisans heavily relied on human hair to fortify their plaster casts. Human hair plays a pivotal role in enhancing the strength and durability of plaster molds, preventing surface cracks, and maintaining their integrity.
Plaster, a blend of gypsum or lime and water, has been a versatile material for centuries, serving diverse purposes such as sculpting intricate figures and crafting decorative moldings. This practice was more prevalent in Europe, particularly in countries like France and Italy, where artisans incorporated hair into their plaster recipes. Paul Lawson, who acquired many of his taxidermy skills through correspondence with Nebraska University, also adhered to this tradition.
The addition of human hair into the plaster mix bolstered its tensile strength, reducing shrinkage and ensuring that fine details were preserved. This was particularly essential in creating molds that needed to retain their precise shapes, exemplified by the Somerton Man's head.
The presence of human hair granted plaster a level of flexibility, making the molds less susceptible to breakage during the demolding process, vital for preserving the cast's integrity.
During the mid-20th century, hairdressers across the world collected and sold hair from their clients. This was not limited to Australia and had various applications, from wig-making to the crafting of plaster molds and fine brushes for artists. Advertisements in the Trove archives corroborate this practice.
It's plausible that Paul incorporated human hair into the plaster mix, given the nature of the mold-making process. This could explain the clumps of hair mentioned by Professor Abbott, as well as the use of mortuary soap, which served multiple functions: obliterating DNA (an aspect unknown to the police at the time), smoothing the man's hair, and acting as a release agent during mold removal, preventing hair entanglement. These findings suggest that the hair samples may not have originated from the Somerton Man's head.
The question arises: Where did the hair samples for DNA analysis come from, supposedly linking them to Carl Webb? There are a couple of potential explanations:
It's conceivable that the samples were mixed up, and later, samples from a Webb family member were sent for analysis at Astrea.
Another possibility is that a close family member of Carl Webb, Dr. John Berkeley Bennett, who was in Adelaide at the time and pronounced the Somerton Man's death, could have been the source of the hair. Although this scenario is possible, it may not be highly probable.
A more plausible scenario is that the hair originated from an Adelaide-based hairdresser.
Dr Richard Bennett's engagement announcement:
Dr Berkeley Bennett was related to Dorothy Jean Robertson/Webb. Their fathers were cousins. I’m not aware of any other familial connections to the Webbs…
ReplyDeleteAre you back online yet GC?
ReplyDeleteNot quite, had to get some backend stuff done on the site, plus a bunch of other tasks to get completed. Managed to get the rest of the Carl Webb Saga posts completed but they still need a little tuning. The video on this post is very informative, it makes it hard to see how sample hairs were found unless they were from the plaster mix and not the body of the man.
ReplyDeleteArtisans and others who made plaster busts often collected human hair or sought donations from friends and sometimes famous people who liked the idea of having their hair preserved in an art object that could be around for centuries. Made sense to me.
ReplyDeleteA couple of things, I wonder if any of Paul’s other plaster models are still around? Could someone find out if he used hair in them? The second thing is a bit macabre. Paul didn’t have much time to get all the bits and pieces together, as per El’s comment if he was in the habit of using hair in making plaster busts or other models could he have been forced into harvesting hair from other occupants of the morgue?
ReplyDeleteGood thinking! I honestly don't know whether there would be other plaster cast pieces made by Paul, the question could be asked though. It would be interesting to find out, it would mean having someone examine the piece/s if there are any and confirm whether any hair is visible as it was on the SM bust. Thanks for that.
DeleteYour next point is pertinent and in some ways timely. However, we must be getting close to the Coroner's report, it specifically seeks to ascertain whether the exhumed body is that of the Somerton Man, I think that there may or may not be a finding regarding the Carl Webb claims in that the Coroner may say whether or not the DNA found in the hair samples was identical to the DNA found in the exhumed remains. There would also have to be a finding on the dental chart which really is a critical piece of evidence. So, as to whether hair from another occupant of the morgue is concerned, yes it's possible and not beyond the bounds of imagination, but in the end, the Coroner's findings may decide the identity for us and your question would be redundant. Who knows what turns up! Good thinking though, might still be a question for the future.
I find it interesting how others are suddenly discovering that you are probably right about Carl Webb. There really is no solid evidence to support that theory and there never was, it was all media hype. They can fool some of the people some of the time but they can’t fool all of the people all of the time. Soon enough the shady deals will be exposed. The paid trolls will have to look elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteIt’s sounds like they got an face palm moment,they finally found out Carl Webb dna link doesn’t match the SM, and they are probably looking for a new theory or “diversion” as it’s seems to get peoples attention into a new direction.
ReplyDelete