Monday, March 17, 2014

The Lady We Kissed (Sort of)

by: Shahir Nazri

In 1880s, the body of a young woman was pulled out from Seine River, Paris. No signs of violence were detected, so the authorities ruled out homicide as the cause of death. This left them with 3 more possibilities: suicide; accidental causes; or natural causes. Perhaps Seine River was a well-known location for anyone who wanted to commit suicide at that time (Aokigahara Forest – google it!). So, the best bet was to suspect her death as suicidal.

Her body was handed to the mortuary. Because of the body carried no identifications, she remained on display at the city’s mortuary, with the hope that any visitors will recognize the body and claim her. She remained unclaimed. A pathologist was captivated by the beauty of her face, and he decided to mould her face as a memorial (the same way we use Instagram today, I guess). And thus, the lady’s death mask was created.

The death mask of L'inconnue de la Seine

Somehow, this death mask became a hit among art enthusiasts at that time. Maybe it attracted them the same way Mona Lisa painting attracts us: the smile that portrays mystery. Not so much like the Joker (the nemesis of Batman) and not so little that it can be vaguely seen. Copies of the mask were made and displayed on the walls of halls and living rooms. The unknown lady became a subject of art, featured in poems and writings. She was nicknamed the L’Inconnue de la Seine, translated as The Unknown Woman of Seine.

      Fast forward to 1950s. A young boy was saved by his father from drowning. The boy’s name was Tore, and his father, Asmund Laerdal, was a famous Norwegian toy manufacturer. One day, he met a man from America, named Peter Safar.

Asmund Laerdal

Peter Safar was the pioneer of CPR, and he intended to teach this newly developed skills to others. To do so, he needed a model upon which the technique can be demonstrated. A mannequin will be a perfect model. But where could he find one that is perfect enough to be used?

Dr. Peter Safar
Therefore, Peter Safar asked Asmund Laerdal to manufacture a dummy that is perfect enough for people to practice CPR. Perhaps Asmund saw a business opportunity, or perhaps he realized the importance of CPR during the time he saved his drowning son, so Asmund accepted the offer.

Asmund needed to create this dummy as realistic as possible. People need to treat the mannequin as human, not just a dummy. He realized that he needed to put a real human face on the mannequin. He chose the face to be of female gender. Maybe that was a time when men dominate the lifesaving business, and to kiss another man’s face is kind of disgusting. Or maybe female’s face seems less threatening. Either way, female seemed like a better choice.

But whose face should he used? He remembered a plaster mask on display in his grandparents’ house. The face of the Inconnué. That face was used on the mannequin. Asmund named this mannequin ‘Rescuci Anne’. Anne was the name of the dolls Asmund once successfully marketed. He only added Rescuci in front to distinguish these mannequins from his other previous dolls. Thus, began the Inconnué’s career in medical field.

Rescuci Anne


Some say the face mask was created from a living model and not a dead one (imagine the face of drowning victim found days later, it can’t be that perfect). Theories were made about the identity of the lady behind that face. I believe that the story I wrote above is not entirely true. The truth remains a mystery, immortalize in the beauty and calamity of her face. Called by some as ‘the most kissed face of all time’, L’inconnue remains as she is: The Unknown.

Do things with passion or not at all.

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