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A disguise is used to change someone’s appearance and conceal their true identity and can be used for many purposes. One kind of far out example is spies who often hide their true identities in order to carry out their missions-- or how about performers in theater and the movies who change their appearances to entertain an audience? And an undercover detective, like a spy, may use a disguise to help him or her solve a case.
Methods and techniques of physical disguise have changed considerably over the years. People in the past didn’t have as many tools and materials at their disposal as we do today-- still, it has been possible to make less complex disguises for centuries, and some inventive methods have been recorded. One early innovation was altering hair color by washing it in an organic dye, such as crushing walnut shells and mixing them with water to produce a sandy blonde dye; and, at one point, a method was developed for creating distracting skin lesions using egg whites. By separating the egg white and applying it— still wet— to one’s skin, once dried, the egg white would look like a boil or lesion on the wearer. Today, there are any number of ways to disguise yourself. Fake eyebrows and sideburns, wigs and hair implants, and an endless array of cosmetics and dyes can all temporarily change a person’s appearance with convincing results. Plastic surgery can even permanently alter a person’s appearance. One of the masters of disguise in the movies was silent film star Lon Chaney, sometimes known as “the man of a thousand faces.” Before becoming a star in his own right, it is said Chaney would carry his makeup kit around Hollywood and make himself up to look like whatever a given movie studio was trying to find. This landed him many acting gigs as an extra on set. His ability to disguise himself eventually led to his casting in many more prominent roles, and his ability to act secured his stardom in the silent era. Disguise is also a staple of literature and fiction, with the stories of Sherlock Holmes being a famous example. Widely known for his talents with makeup and disguise, in many of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s tales, Sherlock Holmes would gather information by becoming one with the background of people that inhabited London. Holmes knew that common people would more likely talk with other common people than with a stranger to their class, especially in that era of highly stratified London. People aren’t the only ones that use disguises to their advantage. The chameleon is the master of disguise in the Animal Kingdom, changing the color of its body to better blend in with its surroundings, which makes it harder for predators to find. There are also many types of insects that have evolved to look like other things found in nature. One of the most obvious examples is the Phasmatidae family of insects, most commonly known as “stick bugs,” whose appearance is often confused (unsurprisingly) for a stick. Another example is the owl butterfly, which has colorations on its wings that look like the large eyes of an owl. These qualities were developed by these creatures as a means of survival-- appearing like something else helps these animals trick predators into believing they are either a larger and far more dangerous creature-- or not even a creature at all, like in the cast of stick bugs. For these animals, understanding the art of disguise is often a case of life and death! |
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GLOSSARY
Casting the process by which an actor is hired for a film, play or similar performing art.
Cosmetics a product applied to the body to alter its appearance.
Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan 19th Century English author most famous for creating Sherlock Holmes.
Gig a job, usually very temporary like a single evening, taken on by a performer.
Phasmatidae family of insects with long antennae.
Plastic Surgery reconstructing or repairing parts of the body by the transfer of tissue, either in the treatment of injury or for cosmetic reasons.
Stratified structured, arranged or classified.
Cosmetics a product applied to the body to alter its appearance.
Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan 19th Century English author most famous for creating Sherlock Holmes.
Gig a job, usually very temporary like a single evening, taken on by a performer.
Phasmatidae family of insects with long antennae.
Plastic Surgery reconstructing or repairing parts of the body by the transfer of tissue, either in the treatment of injury or for cosmetic reasons.
Stratified structured, arranged or classified.
