There are several reasons why hair work was unbelievably popular for over a century. Human hair does not decay with the passing of time as most other materials. It has chemical qualities that cause it to last for hundreds, yes, thousands, of years. Hair has often played a part in myths and legends.
Another likely cause was the fact that many hair artists and wig makers had too little employment when the powdered wigs often worn my noblemen of the 17th and 18th centuries went out of date. Into an age of romance and sentiment hair jewelry gave these craftsmen a good income. At the start hair jewelry was usually made in cooperation with goldsmiths producing beautiful and expensive creations of hair mounted in gold and perhaps decorated with pearls or precious stones. These were naturally very expensive. Among the many famous persons who owned and cherished hair jewelry we can name Napoleon, Admiral Nelson, Queen Victoria and her large family, Christina Nilsson and Jenny Lind.
Styles change and it finally became too expensive to travel abroad. Still at the beginning of the 20th century there could be 20 or so hair workers from Våmhus in the large towns of Scandinavia, Stockholm, Oslo, etc. But finally the aging women just stayed at home doing an occasional piece for someone by mail order. In 1950 there still might come brown envelopes with hair, addressed to the hair worker, Våmhus, since the mail carrier knew where they all lived.
Another likely cause was the fact that many hair artists and wig makers had too little employment when the powdered wigs often worn my noblemen of the 17th and 18th centuries went out of date. Into an age of romance and sentiment hair jewelry gave these craftsmen a good income. At the start hair jewelry was usually made in cooperation with goldsmiths producing beautiful and expensive creations of hair mounted in gold and perhaps decorated with pearls or precious stones. These were naturally very expensive. Among the many famous persons who owned and cherished hair jewelry we can name Napoleon, Admiral Nelson, Queen Victoria and her large family, Christina Nilsson and Jenny Lind.
Styles change and it finally became too expensive to travel abroad. Still at the beginning of the 20th century there could be 20 or so hair workers from Våmhus in the large towns of Scandinavia, Stockholm, Oslo, etc. But finally the aging women just stayed at home doing an occasional piece for someone by mail order. In 1950 there still might come brown envelopes with hair, addressed to the hair worker, Våmhus, since the mail carrier knew where they all lived.
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