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Wigs in the 1800's

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  • Wigs in the 1800's

    Hi - Does anybody know what ladies wigs would have been made of in the 1800's and early 1900's in Russia, Poland, Prussia etc as well as in the London area.
    Last edited by naomiatt; 28-11-09, 00:49.

  • #2
    Human hair most likely. Possibly horsehair, but I think that was more likely to be for men's wigs.

    OC

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    • #3
      Hi OC - yes, I thought most likely human hair, for ladies in any rate. I'm not sure how it was collected though?
      Through hairdressers at the time, deceased, people who shaved their hair by religion??? I would imagine that people might have sold their hair as well.

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      • #4
        they still sell their hair here, especially if you have grey hair and it is long. No I haven't done that I donated mine when I had it cut short. Grey is impossible to match for wigs other than with human hair so I am told.

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        • #5
          Thanks Jac - I didn't know that about grey. I know they used real hair at Madame Tussauds...

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          • #6
            I think the sale would be direct, to a wigmaker in those days as there were very few "hairdressers" as we know them to day - poor women dressed their own hair, rich women's maids dressed theirs!

            Another thing women did was to collect every stray hair which they brushed out of their own hair and either had them made into hairpieces or into a hair roll which boosted their own hair.

            I watched a programme about modern day wig making in Asia (I think) and the hair has to be examined first under ultra violet light to show up lice and nits euuurrggghh!

            OC

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            • #7
              There has been 'articles' on this very subject on 'The One Show' this week, ranging from wigs to facial hair and haircuts/styles, it was very interesting,

              I cant find much about that show, though I have found this, it might help

              http://search.bbc.co.uk/search?uri=%...toolbar&q=wigs+
              Last edited by Darksecretz; 28-11-09, 14:00.
              Julie
              They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

              .......I find dead people

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              • #8
                Hi OC and thanks for the link Julie - I found out a bit more today..seems that horses hair was the cheaper option...and horses tails were often cut off by people trying to sell them, so the owners often shortened the tails themselves to stop this happening...also, Nuns used to sell their hair as well...I'm not sure for personal gain though. Reading some of the info from Julie's link..nylon and synthetic fibres were eventually introduced...Sir Richard Arkwright (1732-1792) acquired a secret method for dyeing hair and travelled around the country purchasing human hair for use in the manufacture of wigs. I suspect a similiar sort of thing happened out of the UK as well.
                Last edited by naomiatt; 29-11-09, 06:52.

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