Victorian Hair Wreath

Victorian Hair Wreath. (Hairwork)
9×8 in. Shadow box dimensions 18×16 in.

Made of human hair in glass shadow box. Donated in 2011.
This object is a sort of memento mori (or a souvenir of the dead), made to mourn the loss of a loved one. Wreaths such as this one were common in the Victorian era (named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, who reigned from 1837 until 1901) and were commonly created by women. The primary material was hair, usually human hair and often from the person who had passed away. It was common to collect hair taken from brushes and combs and then store it in special containers; one such vessel can be seen in the bedroom of Helen Sherman. The strands were wound around a support, usually wire, and fashioned into fanciful designs (especially of flowers) and then formed into a wreath. These were placed into a deep frame or shadow box which was displayed in the home to remember the dead. Often the wreaths were open-ended to resemble a horseshoe and were sometimes displayed with the open side upwards, to catch the good luck. Ribbon, jewelry (or similar objects belonging to the lamented dead), embroidery, dried flowers from the funeral service, and even photographs of the deceased might enhance the design.

As was common for the creations of women in the past, we usually do not know the name of the artist. In this case, however, the maker’s name, Ida Bell Beighley Hilty of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania is inscribed on the back of the shadowbox. Little is known of Hilty’s life, but her wreath was passed down in her family until it entered the Hoyt Sherman Place collection.