The History of Gas Masks

The first gas mask was invented by a medical researcher named John Haldane following the devastating Battle of Ypres in 1915. After successfully identifying the type of gas used against the Allies in the Battle of Ypres, Haldane began testing gas mask designs on himself, his family, and his team. He came up with the design for the Black Veil respirator, a makeshift solution designed to help combat chlorine gas attacks, and also helped work on the box respirator, a precursor to the modern gas mask. However, the box respirator was ultimately created by another scientist named Edward Harrison.