In Their Words

German M1917 Gas Mask

Pictured to the right is the 1917 model of the German “Gasmaske.” This type of mask was also frequently called a “Ledermaske 17” or “Lederschutzmaske” by German soldiers, referring to its leather construction and the model year.

The mask was made from inexpensive brown leather with black oil-cloth around the edges. Acetate lenses are reinforced with metal spokes, creating an ominous appearance. A drum-shaped respirator cartridge is attached to the bottom of the mask by way of a tin screw top. The cartridge used three layers of filtration: a top one composed of Kiesdelguhr (a silica composed from aquatic plants) soaked in potassium carbonate and covered in a thin layer of powdered charcoal, a middle layer of charcoal, and a bottom layer of crushed pumice stone mixed with hexamethylenetetramine.

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