My last post should have grabbed your attention if you were not familiar with hair art. It’s also known as hair work.
Remember to click on the images to see a larger view.
Remember to click on the images to see a larger view.
I got my first introduction to this in June of 2009. Well, imagine my surprise when, just 2 days later and further into our summer trip, I saw some more! We had made our way to Des Moines, Iowa for a family wedding and our love of living history compelled us to visit Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa about 7 miles away. Here you can travel through 300 years of time.
But for me, as usual before any trip, first things first.
Yes, I really did have to go. And, yes, this is where I really went.
My daughter’s paternal grandmother only had an outhouse when I met her father, so this suburban girl had gotten used to it.
Except the smell as you can see.
I was quite the spectacle when I was in “training” to use Grandma’s outhouse. Very entertaining, I’m sure. Grandma always had a mason jar of soot from the fireplace and you're supposed to add a spoonful to the “hole” when you’re done to keep the smell down and the flies at bay. They didn’t use one here!
Actually, I don’t think it was that bad, I’m just such a drama queen!
Our first indoor tour was the 1900’s farm house.
So adorable – I could totally live in a house like this with it’s wooden floors, simple interior and white picket fence.
And what is that hanging on the wall in the parlor?
“NOOOOOO! You’re kidding me?”, I say… out loud.
Excuse the blurry picture, but this is what I ended up with.
You’ve got to be kidding me! I’ve never seen this in my life and now twice in one week?
Is this a divine message and I should be getting something here?
No, I’m not going to try to make hair art or start collecting it, if that’s the divine message!
Sure enough! It’s more HAIR ART! Only this one has MORE HAIR and many different colors of it too!
With beads added in.
I’m still not sure what to make of this new discovery and once again my fellow tourists left me. I was trying to take more photos without glare (see me in the glass?).
Well, I still can’t believe it. But it was an affirmation for me to learn more about it, for sure.
Onward. Now here’s an 1875 upper-class Victorian home we went through.
Look what I find… AGAIN in the master bedroom!
What’s more is that this upper-class lady also has a chamber set.
A brush, hair irons, doo-dad for hat pins…
AND WHAT’S THIS? Could it be a hair receiver?
That’s exactly what it is! One question answered! A real hair receiver!
Amazing.
I guess she would clean her brush and also pull her hand through her hair to grab the loose strands, I know I used to, and add it to her little dish.
And remember when you have hair like this:
And remember when you have hair like this:
Photo from Flickr by 9teen87's Postcards
It probably mostly fills the dish in one sitting.
Finally, we visited the general store.
Neat stuff! I would love some of this to decorate my 1970’s ranch house! HA!
And I’ll take that wood-stove please!
Mason jars, oil lamps, coffee grinders, tins – oh my!
Love the wooden boxes for spices.
And the shoes. Look at all those buttons! I die.
Wait, what’s this? Oh, no don’t tell me.
Linen handkerchief's, combs and HAIR JEWELRY?
OK! I can’t take it anymore! I SEE IT! Hair, hair everywhere!
I’ve had enough and I wanna go home {whine}!
Really, I just wanted to get back so I could get on the computer and learn more about this unmerciful hysteria mystery.
I’m not done yet.
Coming soon: Part 3.
©2010 Joanne Schleier - All Rights Reserved.
LOL. Wonderful! My grandmother had a vanity set that included a hair receiver. I still have part of the set, but from what my grandmother said the receiver broke years ago. That's probably a good thing. I always wondered why anyone would put the hair in a receive anyway. Now I know...
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