History of prosthetic Makeup

Before the 1930’s Makeup artists weren’t very widely recognised. The actors/ actresses in film were expected to do their own makeup because there was no one else to do it. Products they might of used were basic in comparison to today’s silicones and included spirit gum, fish skin, cotton, gelatine, greasepaints, Collodion, cheesecloth, clay, Fullers Earth, various putties, pastes and wax’, Gutta Percha, crepe hair and latex.

The first film to use foam prosthetic appliances was the wizard of OZ and before that it they used cotton, wax and latex. Prosthetic makeup really became revolutionised when films started to before more interesting. As the film ideas were being made it encouraged artists to try out different ways of making humans into a character using different materials.

Prosthetic makeup was mainly revolutionised by John Chambers, he was an American make-up artist and veteran prosthetic makeup expert in both television and film. Some of his notable work includes him creating the pointy ears of the character Spock on the television series Star Trek (1966), and for his make-up work on the Planet of the Apes film franchise. He was a medical technician during World War II, and this is where he found employment repairing faces and making prosthetic limbs for wounded veterans. He also trained under Ben Nye, then head of make-up at 20th-century Fox. In 1953, he joined the NBC television network as a make-up artist for live shows. After working on his first film, Around the World in Eighty Days in 1956, he then joined Universal Pictures.

He became known worldwide for his work on the Planet of the Apes films, during its production, he held training sessions at the film studios to tutor the other 78 artists working on the film. He won an honorary Oscar at the 41st Academy Awards for his work on film, long before the Academy Award for Best Makeup was established in 1981. 

http://www.sianjeffriesjones.com/2012/08/29/a-little-prosthetic-history-part-1/

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chambers_(make-up_artist)