Joseph and Hyrum Smith Death Masks

Before photography was commonplace, casts or impressions of someone’s face were made to preserve facial features around the time of death. They were usually intended for recreating the person in portraits and sculptures.

These files are 3D scans of the death masks of Joseph (1805-1844) and Hyrum (1800-1844) Smith. As shown in the photos, both laser and photogrammetry scanning methods were used to scan plaster casts of the original death masks. The laser scan captured slightly more details making it the better choice for 3D printing.

The 3D prints were completed at actual size on a Prusa i3 MK3 (.2mm). They were printed at an angle with the chin up and supports on the back.