Lewis Powell's Jaw

[Natty]

Thanks for the amazing pictures, Betty! I've never had such a clear view of Lewis' teeth and jaw before.

In regards to his scowling: I once read a description of the court proceedings where Lewis was described as speaking with a frown every time he conferred with his lawyer. I used to be under the impression that he was simply scowling on the pictures because of the photo sessions, since he even tried to sabotage one of them by shaking his head, but this account made me wonder. It suggests that Lewis scowled frequently, even during personal interaction.

I would really like to know how severely the nerve damage would have affected the dynamics of his facial animation, since any peculiarities would have been very strong factors in how people characterized Lewis. Partial inability to move one side of the mouth is often quite pronounced in agitated, excited individuals, leading to increased spittle expulsion and a snarling, vicious appearance - if Lewis had such an inflection, he would have generated a certain amount of negative attention in such situations. Facial handicaps are also often initially viewed as signs of mental handicap and slow wit by many people, leading to the misconception that the individual might be primitive and retarded.

The actor Sylvester Stallone has a similar condition due to complications during his birth. The doctors had to apply forceps to his head and severed a nerve in the process. As a result, the lower left side of his face is paralyzed, including parts of his lip, tongue, and chin, which has given Stallone his snarling look and slightly slurred speech.

It is all very interesting, because we can actually see so very little from the few pictures that we have. The way Lewis used his face ultimately characterized him most; it is how he moved his mouth, the way he wrinkled his brow and formed dimples in his cheeks as he spoke and smiled........ these elements are the missing links that probably defined his appearance more than a few photos ever could.