A cosplayer wearing the long, black nose of a plague doctor poses with a woman in a face mask for a ...More photo at the Middle East Film & Comic Con in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday ...

With their dark, heavy robes and beaked masks, the plague doctor will forever be associated with the bubonic plague, even though they first appeared in France and Italy in the 1600s, nearly 300 ...

During the 17th-century European plague, physicians wore beaked masks, leather gloves, and long coats in an attempt to fend off the disease. Their iconic and ominous look, as depicted in this 1656 ...

The Plague Doctor’s eerie beak mask was designed to protect against “evil” smells thought to cause disease. But the truth behind this creepy costume will shock you! Discover the medically ...

Attendees at this conference in Washington DC probably weren't expecting to see a dark, masked figure with a beak at their meeting. So who is he and why was he there?

The original plague doctor masks, on the other hand, the ones worn by physicians, were fashioned from leather like the rest of the doctor's protective gear and had a much less ornamental appearance.