In the 19th century, it was common for plaster 'death masks' to be made of the face and skull of executed criminals. At the time, these masks served several purposes.
Firstly, death masks were used for phrenological analysis, whereby the shape of a person’s head is studied to determine their character traits. Secondly, they were often put on display in public places to serve as a reminder of the power of the police force.
If ever the police wanted to show off its ability to capture a notorious criminal, it was after the execution of Ned Kelly, who - with his gang - had eluded police for years. So when Ned was hanged, several death masks were made of his skull.
One was put on display in Bourke Street and was no doubt a source of fascination for the Victorian public. Another is now in the Library’s collection, and is currently part of a project that will see its image digitally captured in 3-D.
View the death mask in the Pictures Catalogue >
Find out about the 3-D imaging project >
Learn more about death masks and phrenology [external link] > | 
