The Ichabod – Banwell Designs

Description

An instant icon, Tom Banwell’s third plague doctor mask (and second steampunk plague doctor mask), The Ichabod, is named after Ichabod Crane, with a long thin beak reminiscent of a crane. It’s polished metal beak and eyes with victorian surface embellishments are iconically steampunk.

In order to achieve the thinner beak, there is a gathered piece of soft lambskin as a chin and throat cover. Ichabod is made of top grain cowhide, hand-stitched with waxed thread, with a polished beak and eyepieces cast in cold-cast aluminum, with the beak extending out to 7½” long.

The straps are adjustable by means of three buckles, and the mask will fit a head between a small 21″ all the way up to an extra large 24″.

The Ichabod Photo Gallery

Out in the Wild

The Ichabod was featured in an exhibit at Museo, in Anaheim, CA in 2011.

“A new, multimedia Steampunk exhibition opens Sunday at Muzeo in Anaheim. “Steampunk: History Beyond Imagination” examines the origins of Steampunk, with a review of its scientific and literary sources. The show also offers a look at material Steampunk culture, with drawings, action figures, costumes, imaginary inventions, videos, photos and ephemera from Steampunk events.”
The Orange County Register, October 24, 2011

Posters

How It Was Made

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Making of The Ichabod Plague Doctor Mask part 1 of 9

“I have decided to create a third version of the plague doctor mask, in addition to the classic historical style, and the steampunked Dr. Beulenpest, shown below. I have had several requests for an extended beak, and that will be one of the modifications in the new mask. In my initial sketches (shown below) the mask reminds me of a crane, and so I am calling the new piece Ichabod, in a nod to the 19th-century author Washington Irving and his Legend of Sleepy Hollow…”

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Making of The Ichabod Plague Doctor Mask: Molding the Eyepiece

part 2 of 9

“Continuing with the Ichabod eyepiece, I seal the outside with Bondo auto body putty so that the mold material won’t leak in between the individual pieces of acrylic….”

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Making of The Ichabod Plague Doctor Mask: The Finished Eye Piece

part 3 of 9

“After staring at the eyepiece prototype for a few hours I have decided that the foam relief is too pronounced, so I’ve replaced it with a much thinner material…..”

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Making of The Ichabod Plague Doctor Mask: The First Sculpt

part 4 of 9

“With the eyepieces done I move on to sculpting the mask in clay. I place the two eyepieces onto the face form and start adding plasticene, which I’ve warmed in the microwave oven to soften it….”

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Making of The Ichabod Plague Doctor Mask: The Eyepiece Cap

part 5 of 9

“I’ve made the eyepiece cap (the ring that keeps the lens in place) with a decorative design similar to the eyepiece itself. Here—left to right—are the model, the unfinished casting, and the polished cold cast aluminum cap…..”

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Making of The Ichabod Plague Doctor Mask: The Beak

part 6 of 9

“I have built the beak with the same sort of relief decoration as the eyepieces. This is the beak in progress with the lasered relief applique in the background. Here is the final cast beak, showing both the side and bottom view, in cold cast aluminum……”

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Making of The Ichabod Plague Doctor Mask: The Pattern

part 7 of 9

“Now I’ll make the patterns for the leather pieces (which will support the three cold cast parts). I begin by marking where the seams will go on the plasticene with a Sharpie felt tip pen…..”

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Making of The Ichabod Plague Doctor Mask: The Straps

part 8 of 9

“Returning to the Ichabod, I adjusted the pattern so that the beak opening wasn’t so large, and now the fit is good. Next up is making the straps. Returning to the Ichabod, I adjusted the pattern so that the beak opening wasn’t so large, and now the fit is good. Next up is making the straps……”

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Making of The Ichabod Plague Doctor Mask: Completed

part 9 of 9

“I’ve remade the straps, and painted them black as shown below. Let me explain why these straps were more of a challenge to design than my other steampunk masks. After making a traditional looking plague doctor mask last year, I quickly followed it up with a steampunked version, Dr. Beulenpest. The traditional mask is rather squat, and Beulenpest is sleeker, with a longer narrower beak…..”