AIC's 46th Annual Meeting

The mask used in the 1974 horror classic, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, is housed in the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas Austin. The mask was made from a latex rubber and meant to resemble human flesh – a grisly prize of the film’s cannibalistic villain. Over time, the mask has become fragile and brittle, losing its original flexibility. It was determined that a supportive mount should be made in an effort to improve long term storage and display options. However, the mask could not withstand the pressure of most traditional casting materials which could be used to obtain the interior topography of the mask. By exploring the uses of photogrammetry, laser scanning, 3D digital modeling and 3D printing, we were able to create a support for the mask. The digital model of the underside of the mask was printed and a support was made using the 3D print out rather than the original mask. In doing so, we made a custom mount for the fragile mask without the risks involved with excessive handling.