This post is also available in: Deutsch

Sabina Carraro works as a a conservation/restauration specialist at the Museum of Wax Moulages, which is run jointly by the University of Zurich and the University Hospital Zurich. She first learned about the moulage technique during her professional training and immediately knew it was what she wanted to do. In this interview, she tells us all about the making of the wax moulages from the last Swiss smallpox epidemic.

Interview: Valentina Porfido, apprentice as information and documentation specialist at Main Library

Why were wax moulages of people infected with smallpox created?

Moulages have been made in Zurich since 1918. With this technique, body parts affected by a disease are reproduced three-dimensionally to preserve the clinical picture, for example for teaching purposes. The former Zurich Cantonal Hospital employed Lotte Volger as its first moulageuse. She was expected to enlarge the growing collection with wax moulages of diseaeses which had not yet been documented. At the beginning of the 20th century, smallpox was already a rare condition. Most people had been vaccinated. There were no smallpox moulages in the collection until the epidemic of 1921. Since the disease shows itself mainly through the skin, it was even more important to capture and preserve how it looks.

Lotte Volger lived and worked very close to the Cantonal Hospital. Thus, whenever necessary, she could go to the hospital to see the patients who served her as models. The basic rule was that moulages could only be painted in the presence of the patient and in daylight. This could be difficult because the skin usually changes over time.

How are moulages made? What is the working process?

If we stick to the classic process for a face, it first requires plaster to create a negative. It is usually done in two parts, which are then joined together. This creates a small cast seam, which can be easily repaired. The next step is the making of the moulage mass, which is made from beeswax, dammar resin and four oil colors (red, blue, brown, yellow). This mass is then poured into the plaster negative. When the hot wax cools down to room temperature, it becomes solid again and you can remove the plaster negative. This results in the wax positive. Of course, this moulage does not yet have hair and eyes.

The next step is to paint the skin. This takes more than a day because of the time needed for drying. You have to allow some time after every new thin layer of paint. Then, using a warm knife, openings are cut into the form from the inside to insert the glas eyes. The last step is to add the hair by poking small holes for each hair. As a last finish, you use a varnish to create shiny spots on the skin to make the moulage look more realistic.

The finished moulage is mounted with a little bit of hot wax on a black wooden board and clothed with a white linen. The only difference between this traditional procedure and modern moulage production is that skin-friendly silicone is used instead of plaster.

What attracted you to this particular profession?

During my training at the Universtity of the Arts, the moulage collection at the University Hospital in Zurich was mentioned in my drawing class. I visited it out of interest in my free time, and actually, you could say it was love at first sight.

I have always had an interest in topics in between medicine and art. For me, this is exactly the place where both meet. In addition, I always wanted to work with my hands, but also have the scientific aspect to it. After my training as a restauration specialist, I was able to fulfill my dream. Restoring moulages is very exciting, diverse and complex, because the moulages always confront me with new questions to solve. Today, unfortunately, there is rarely enough time to make new moulages myself, but the fact that we still master this art in Zurich is of course very gratifying.

Link: Museum of Wax Moulages University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich