Grotesque Motorcycle Masks, 1938

In 1938, for races on cinder tracks, daredevil New York motorcyclists wear grotesque masks to protect their faces against flying particles from the wheels of each other’s machines.

The racers dip the masks in water to soften them and then press them against their faces. When dry, the masks take on the contours of the cyclists’ features. Goggles are worn over the eyeholes. In addition, the racers wear football helmets to guard their heads.