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, Victorian Hair Art, Victorian Hair Wreath, Material Culture, 19th Century Crafts, 19th Century Domestic Arts, Memory and Mourning Practices Diane Irby Victorian Hairwork, Victorian Hair Art, Victorian Hair Wreath, Material Culture, 19th Century Crafts, 19th Century Domestic Arts, Memory and Mourning Practices Diane Irby

Cultural Meaning in Victorian Hairwork Wirework Hair Flowers & Wreaths

Discover the cultural significance of Victorian wirework hair flowers and wreaths - handmade keepsakes crafted from human hair that symbolized memory, affection, and family legacy in 19th-century life.

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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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Victorian Hairwork, 19th Century America, Art History, Material Culture Diane Irby Victorian Hairwork, 19th Century America, Art History, Material Culture Diane Irby

Think of a tea set made of a lover’s hair!

At the 1853 New York Crystal Palace Exhibition, Linherr & Co. stunned visitors with delicate hairwork jewelry - including a tea set made from human hair. This innovative display redefined sentimental and mourning art and helped introduce hairwork as a fashionable craft in the U.S.

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Victorian Hairwork, 19th Century Crafts, American Folk Art, American Cultural Heritage, Art History, Endangered Crafts Diane Irby Victorian Hairwork, 19th Century Crafts, American Folk Art, American Cultural Heritage, Art History, Endangered Crafts Diane Irby

Reviving the Tradition of Hairwork, Preserving Heritage and Artistry

Reviving the nearly forgotten art of hairwork helps preserve American cultural heritage, celebrates feminine creativity, and offers a sustainable, emotionally resonant form of artistic expression rooted in 19th-century traditions.

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