Material Culture, 19th Century America, American Folk Art, Women’s History, Gender Studies, American Cultural Heritage, Mormon Pioneers, Female Agency Diane Irby Material Culture, 19th Century America, American Folk Art, Women’s History, Gender Studies, American Cultural Heritage, Mormon Pioneers, Female Agency Diane Irby

The Sacred Hair Wreaths of Mormon Pioneers

Beyond "parlor art" for the middle class, this research explores the sophisticated role of Victorian hair wreaths as a material record of Mormon pioneer life, ecclesiastical agency they granted women, and the intentional documentation of women's labor.

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Victorian Hairwork, Victorian Hair Wreath, Victorian Hair Art, 19th Century Crafts, 19th Century Domestic Arts, Women’s History, Domestic Artistry, Memory and Mourning, Memory and Mourning Practices, Victorian Mourning, American Folk Art Diane Irby Victorian Hairwork, Victorian Hair Wreath, Victorian Hair Art, 19th Century Crafts, 19th Century Domestic Arts, Women’s History, Domestic Artistry, Memory and Mourning, Memory and Mourning Practices, Victorian Mourning, American Folk Art Diane Irby

Hair Flowers Poem, 1877

Discover a rare 1877 poem, "Hair Flowers" by Mrs. S.A. Wachter, published in the Catoctin Clarion, which offers an intimate look into the role of Victorian hairwork as a treasured material language of memory and sentiment, demonstrating the skillful artistry of its makers.

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Victorian Hairwork, Victorian Hair Art, Victorian Hair Wreath, Hair Flowers, 19th Century America, 19th Century Crafts, 19th Century Domestic Arts, Gender Studies, Material Culture, History, Women’s History Diane Irby Victorian Hairwork, Victorian Hair Art, Victorian Hair Wreath, Hair Flowers, 19th Century America, 19th Century Crafts, 19th Century Domestic Arts, Gender Studies, Material Culture, History, Women’s History Diane Irby

Gender, Class, and the Social Function of Victorian Hairwork Flowers and Wreaths

Victorian hairwork wirework hair flowers and wreaths embodied class, gender, and emotional labor. Learn how their role as handmade domestic art reflected women’s cultural expectations and the performative expression of sentiment in the 19th-century home.

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Victorian Hairwork, LGBTQ+ History, Pride Month, Women’s History, Material Culture, American Folk Art Diane Irby Victorian Hairwork, LGBTQ+ History, Pride Month, Women’s History, Material Culture, American Folk Art Diane Irby

The Double Silhouette: Celebrating Pride Month through the Victorian Hairwork of Sylvia Drake and Charity Bryant

Explore the story of Sylvia Drake and Charity Bryant, a same-gender couple in early America, through their braided hair silhouette. This Victorian-era artwork honors their 44-year partnership, blending material culture, love, and LGBTQ+ history in a rare and moving work of hairwork art.

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