Lecture about being a sculptor by Anna Coleman Ladd, circa 1930

Sculptor Anna Coleman Ladd (1878-1939) was born in Philadelphia, raised in Paris, and active as a society artist in Boston. Her career as a sculptor centered on portraits and neoclassical allegorical figures, but she is best remembered for her work during World War I. After moving back to Paris in 1917, Ladd founded the American Red Cross Studio for Portrait Masks, where she and assistants created thin, hand-painted prosthetic masks to help soldiers physically, psychologically, and socially adapt to life with severe facial injuries. The French government honored Ladd as a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1932. Help transcribe this lecture written by Ladd in circa 1930, after she had returned to sculpting portraits and commissions. This and other letters, writings, and materials documented Ladd's career can be found in the fully digitized Anna Coleman Ladd Papers on the Archives of American Art website.