Our Plague Doctor Costume will transform your look in seconds! This authentic design is based on the movie, The Black Death. A well-known figure during the 17th century, you’ll be sure to turn heads at your next fancy dress party with this outfit.
This costume includes a long black robe and a hat with an unusual bird shaped mask, which covered the doctor’s face to protect them from catching the plague.
An informative blog about plague doctors from the movie The Black Death. Our Plague Doctor Costume will transform your look in seconds! This authentic design is based on the movie, The Black Death: an informative blog about plague doctors from the movie The Black Death.
Our Plague Doctor Costume will transform your look in seconds! This authentic design is based on the movie, The Black Death.
An informative blog about plague doctors from the movie The Black Death
As we watched the movie, The Black Death, we were fascinated by the plague doctors who appeared to be dressed in head-to-toe protective gear. We wanted to know more about them: Who were they? What did they do? When did they exist? So we spent some time researching and found answers to these questions, and more. We hope you enjoy this fascinating blog on plague doctors as much as we did writing it!
Plague doctors filled many of the same roles as modern doctors. They were not, however, actual physicians; rather, they were specialists in treating the plague. It was not until centuries later that the idea of germs spread.
The first plague doctors wore a variety of protective outfits, but only one stood out as truly unique: The Plague Doctor Costume, created by Charles de Lorme (1584-1678). This costume featured a long beaked mask filled with sweet or strong smelling substances (commonly lavender) believed to protect the wearer from putrid air.
The mask had glass openings for the eyes and mouth and was designed to keep away any bad smells, known as miasma theory, from entering the physician’s nose. This protective suit would also have gloves and a wide-brimmed hat to protect him from anything else that might transmit the disease.
This costume gave rise to our own version of the Plague Doctor Costume: an authentic design based on the movie, The Black Death! We bring you this fabulous costume (as seen in many pictures below)**
The Plague Doctor Costume is a type of protective suit worn by medical practitioners in the 17th century during the plague. The costume was used to protect the doctor from infectious diseases.
The costume included a mask, long black cloak and a cane. The mask had glass openings for the eyes and a curved beak shaped like a bird. The mask had pads soaked in aromatic items to keep away bad smells which were believed to be the cause of plague. The cloak protected doctors clothes while they examined infected patients.
We have created our very own Plague Doctor Costume using only the best materials and finishes so that you can re-enact this classic historical figure at any fancy dress party!
Our Plague Doctor Costume is large enough to fit most adults and is suitable for men or women.
The plague doctor costume is one of the most recognizable figures to come out of the medieval world. This outfit is based on an authentic design dating back to the 17th century, when the Black Plague was at its height and a man dressed in this costume would have ventured into a village to treat those suffering from one of the worst diseases known to mankind.
This costume is available in several sizes and can be worn by men and women. The hat, jacket and trousers are made from a high quality white canvas with a distressed finish for an authentic look.
The Plague Doctor Costume is based on the traditional beak doctor costume worn by doctors during the times of the plague. The costume was designed for practical reasons, including protection from the disease.
The hat and mask were designed to protect the wearer from infection. The pointed hat allowed water to run off and prevent it from entering the mask. The long coat also helped to keep water off the clothes of the wearer.
The mask was made of leather, with glass eye holes and a long beak-like nose. This was filled with strong smelling herbs, such as lavender or rose petals, because it was believed that this would protect them from catching the disease.
Doctors in the Middle Ages wore a long robe called a ‘cappa’. They would often be seen wearing a mask with a bird-like beak, to avoid being infected by the plague. The costume was not just worn by doctors – people believed it was protection, so they would wear the costume whenever they went out of the house.
The Plague Doctor Costume includes:
•Full-length black robe