13
Oct
Goosebumps “The Haunted Mask” Conservation
Conservation and custom display for a screen used foam latex mask from “The Haunted Mask.”
When Hunter from Meat Canyon contacted us to help preserve the titular mask used in the very first episode of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps TV series, we instantly recognized the iconic mask and jumped at the chance to conserve this bit of TV history with a custom insert to support it over time and gentle restoration and in-painting of missing skin in a few areas.
In the 30 years since the TV series was filmed, the foam latex mask had grown brittle and fragile but it was still in great overall condition. Hunter approached us about restoring it and together we worked through options to find the right approach that he’d be comfortable with.
We began by internally patching areas to keep the piece well supported. In strategic areas, we added internal fabric backing by way of muslin strips and flexible archival glues to help support the foam latex mask over time. We then treated the exposed foam for stabilization to help slow the hands of time. We created a custom archival support to fill out not only the head but extended it to the neck area to provide support to the entire mask. This sort of support is a key element in helping increase the longevity of original foam or latex movie props.
Moving from conservation to restoration – we always discuss projects in-depth with our clients to find the right degree of repair for each prop. We balance their desires and budget with our years of experience in the field and an understanding of what the often fragile movie props can bear. With this mask we settled on reattaching the one piece that had broken off, but not adding back in missing material like some gaps on the neck, and the teeth that had gone missing over time.
Instead we mainly focused on several areas where the skin surface or paint was missing. With subtle re-texturing and in-painting (where only the repair is painted, leaving all original paint untouched) we blended those areas into the rest of the mask so they became less distracting. Now the viewer’s focus is on the prop itself, rather than what was missing. As an additional step towards preservation, the whole mask was sealed to help bind any cracks that we weren’t patched over and give the piece a barrier to help slow future drying out.
The finished “Haunted Mask” prop displays beautifully, the customized insert better supports the head and neck of the mask and it retains a ton of age and remains and looks VERY much screen-used and original!
Check out this video that Hunter posted about the project – Thank you Hunter, for entrusting us with this piece of TV and Goosebumps history! https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nmo3VlAaXM4
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