Plague masks: the visual emergence of anti-epidemic personal protection equipment

Christos Lynteris

doi:10.1080/01459740.2017.1423072

Plague masks: the visual emergence of anti-epidemic personal protection equipment

Christos Lynteris

Social Anthropology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Often described as “masks” face-worn devices are employed as personal protection equipment by health workers and the general public and considered to be an indispensable technology against epidemics. Simultaneously, they are potent symbols of existential risk. Could these material and visual aspects be more than simply indexically connected? In this article, I examine these apparatuses through a historical anthropological approach of their invention during the 1910–11 Manchurian plague outbreak. Arguing that they should be taken seriously as masks, I demonstrate that their emergence was rooted in their configuration as transformative agents of medical reason.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	442-457
Journal	Medical Anthropology
Volume	37
Early online date	14 Nov 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/01459740.2017.1423072
Publication status	Published - 19 Nov 2018

Keywords

China
Manchuria
Epidemic
Mask
Photography
Plague

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10.1080/01459740.2017.1423072Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Lynteris_2018_MA_Plaguemasks_CC
Copyright © 2018 Christos Lynteris. Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.
Final published version, 2.25 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

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1 Finished

FP7 ERC Starting Grant VR3PP: FP7 ERC Starting Grant VR3PP
Lynteris, C. (PI)
European Research Council
1/10/17 → 30/09/18
Project: Standard

Christos Lynteris
- cl12st-andrews.acuk
- Social Anthropology - Professor of Medical Anthropology
- School of Philosophical, Anthropological and Film Studies - Director of Research
Person: Academic

2 Article
1 Chapter

鼠疫口罩: 个人防护装备在防疫中的视觉显现
Translated title of the contribution: Plague masks: a visual representation of personal protective equipment in epidemic preventionLynteris, C., 19 May 2025, 口罩: 近代东亚的卫生与政治. Zhang, M. (ed.). Guangxi Normal University Press
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
Are the masks that we wear against Covid-19 really "masks"?
Lynteris, C., 15 Feb 2021, Pictoplasma: Magazine for Character Design and Art, 1, 1, p. 20-23.
Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article
The history of plague masks in East Asia: a conversation between Christos Lynteris, Tomohisa Sumida, and Meng Zhang
Lynteris, C., Sumida, T. & Zhang, M., 26 Apr 2021, The Mask Arrayed.
Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article

Open Access

Cite this

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title = "Plague masks: the visual emergence of anti-epidemic personal protection equipment",

abstract = "Often described as “masks” face-worn devices are employed as personal protection equipment by health workers and the general public and considered to be an indispensable technology against epidemics. Simultaneously, they are potent symbols of existential risk. Could these material and visual aspects be more than simply indexically connected? In this article, I examine these apparatuses through a historical anthropological approach of their invention during the 1910–11 Manchurian plague outbreak. Arguing that they should be taken seriously as masks, I demonstrate that their emergence was rooted in their configuration as transformative agents of medical reason.",

keywords = "China, Manchuria, Epidemic, Mask, Photography, Plague",

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N2 - Often described as “masks” face-worn devices are employed as personal protection equipment by health workers and the general public and considered to be an indispensable technology against epidemics. Simultaneously, they are potent symbols of existential risk. Could these material and visual aspects be more than simply indexically connected? In this article, I examine these apparatuses through a historical anthropological approach of their invention during the 1910–11 Manchurian plague outbreak. Arguing that they should be taken seriously as masks, I demonstrate that their emergence was rooted in their configuration as transformative agents of medical reason.

AB - Often described as “masks” face-worn devices are employed as personal protection equipment by health workers and the general public and considered to be an indispensable technology against epidemics. Simultaneously, they are potent symbols of existential risk. Could these material and visual aspects be more than simply indexically connected? In this article, I examine these apparatuses through a historical anthropological approach of their invention during the 1910–11 Manchurian plague outbreak. Arguing that they should be taken seriously as masks, I demonstrate that their emergence was rooted in their configuration as transformative agents of medical reason.

KW - China

KW - Manchuria

KW - Epidemic

KW - Mask

KW - Photography

KW - Plague

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DO - 10.1080/01459740.2017.1423072

M3 - Article

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VL - 37

SP - 442

EP - 457

JO - Medical Anthropology

JF - Medical Anthropology

ER -

Plague masks: the visual emergence of anti-epidemic personal protection equipment

Abstract

Keywords

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Projects

FP7 ERC Starting Grant VR3PP: FP7 ERC Starting Grant VR3PP

Profiles

Christos Lynteris

Research output

鼠疫口罩: 个人防护装备在防疫中的视觉显现

Are the masks that we wear against Covid-19 really "masks"?

The history of plague masks in East Asia: a conversation between Christos Lynteris, Tomohisa Sumida, and Meng Zhang

Cite this