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| Posted: Tue Oct 24th, 2006 03:03 am |
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1st Post |
Sarah Elizabeth
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Greetings!
I recently toured a Victorian exhibit at a local museum. One of the displays dealt with mourning in the 19th century. I found it to be quite fascinating, especially the many "hairwork" pieces.
The exhibit has peaked my curiosity about the subject. Can anyone recommend some interesting books or websites? I would be most grateful for any and all information. Thanks!
Regards,
Sarah
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| Posted: Wed Oct 25th, 2006 01:20 am |
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2nd Post |
| Posted: Wed Oct 25th, 2006 02:59 am |
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3rd Post |
Sarah Elizabeth
Member
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Thank you so much for the information! The intricate detail of all of the pieces is simply amazing. The shawl is beautiful and certainly prompts the question "Where in the world does one find so much hair?" How DID Victorian women collect such vast amounts of hair? I do realize not all pieces were so large...the earrings and rings are especially lovely, I think.
I am familiar with the Japanese art of Kumihimo and you're right about the similarities. There was a hairwork stand on display at the exhibit and it was almost identical to the Japanese Marudai stand. The one at the exhibit had a much wider center opening than I've seen with typical Marudai's, but it had weighted bobbins and appeared to be about the same in every other aspect.
The only reason I'm familiar with Kumihimo is because when I was in high school (MANY years ago), I became very good friends with one of our Japanese exchange students. She created the most beautiful braided works I've ever seen. I hadn't thought about how much alike the two arts are until you pointed it out! I was fascinated by her work, too. Perhaps seeing the items in the exhibit jogged something in my memory!
Anyway, thanks again for the information. I will do more research on the subject and I am also interested in learning more about all 19th century mourning customs, in general.
With gratitude,
Sarah
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| Posted: Thu Oct 26th, 2006 12:34 am |
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| Posted: Thu Oct 26th, 2006 03:04 am |
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5th Post |
Sarah Elizabeth
Member
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Hello again!
You've certainly provided me with lots of helpful information! I already placed my order for "The Lock of Hair" and can't wait to receive it. From what I can tell by the description on the website, the book also contains info about hairstyles and other bits of info about 19th century hair facts. Thank you for finding the book for me!
In doing a little research myself, I discovered some interesting details about Victorian hairwork, too. It seems that several publications of the day did, in fact, refer to the technique of Kumihimo when describing the art of hair work to readers.
My next step is going to be trying to locate articles from Godey's Lady's Book that pertain to the subject. Tomorrow, I'm going to visit a local historic site which is hosting an exhibit about women in the Victorian age. According to the newsletter from the site, part of the exhibit will focus on women's hairstyles. There will be all sorts of items on display from the years 1837 - 1901. I believe some of the fashions also continue into the Edwardian period. The thing I most want to see is an original Charles Worth ball gown!! It's circa 1894, constructed of gold brocade!
If my schedule does not change, and I hope it will not, I'll post an update about the exhibit. I'm really looking forward to it!
With great appreciation for all of your help,
Sarah
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