History Space: Human hair jewelry, wreaths

"But he has gone — a noble sacrifice to a noble cause. Let us all with renewed

courage stand firm by the flag which he has died for." — Eulogy for George Roscoe Powers

MORRISTOWN – George Roscoe Powers was born in Morristown in 1832, the son of Dr. Horace and Love Gilman Powers. He enlisted on June 1, 1861 as corporal in the 3rd Vermont Infantry, Co. E, along with other young men from the area who believed in the purpose of the War Between the States.

In January of 1862, while stationed at Camp Griffin, Powers fell ill from diphtheria. His father, Dr. Horace Powers, immediately set out for Virginia. Dr. Powers procured a furlough for George and brought him home to Morristown Corners. On Feb. 2, 1862, George succumbed to his illness. He was buried in Riverview Cemetery in Morrisville.

George Roscoe Powers' memory lived on in many forms. Other young men, inspired by George enlisted; a memorial at Riverview Cemetery displayed his family's pride, and more personally in a beautiful piece of jewelry owned by his mother created with hair from George and his brother H. Henry Powers.

During this time period, photography was new and costly. Portrait painters were not often available. Mortality rates were high due to disease and war. If a family member died or moved out of state, you would most likely never see them again.

The Victorians remembered friends and family, whether living or dead, through unique and interesting decorative objects such as hair jewelry and hair wreaths.

These objects were cherished as the hair did not deteriorate after a person's death. The hair was plaited or woven and incorporated into miniatures painted on ivory or glass, usually on the back side of the piece. Gradually, the hair became the centerpiece of the jewelry. It was often set like a jewel in lockets, brooches and bracelets or incorporated in landscapes, floral designs, figures, mottos, or posies designs on miniatures. Necklaces were woven into flat ribbons worn close to the neck.

Earrings and rings

In the 1870s, the designs became heavier and thicker in style. Instead of flat delicate designs, the jewelry was more three dimensional in style. Thick braided bracelets and necklaces with gold accents and engravings were popular. Earring and brooch sets and as well as rings were made. Hundreds of designs were available for the wearer, usually women, to choose from. Watch fobs and signet rings were popular designs for gentleman.

Hair jewelry was a booming business. You could send the hair of a loved one to a jeweler either close to home or to a large city like Boston to be made into a design of your choosing. You could even send it abroad if you could afford to have the work done by the top European jewelers of the day. Artistic individuals could collect, prepare and make their own jewelry at home, finding patterns in books and magazines like Godey's and The Ladies Home Journal.

The woven piece could be finished at home or sent to a jeweler to be enhanced with gold accents and fastenings. The most common pieces made were bracelets, brooches, earrings, rings, necklaces, pins, book marks, walking sticks and even riding whips.

Hair jewelry was not always made to remember a deceased loved one. It was often exchanged between friends and relatives the same way we exchange wallet photos, as something to remember each other person by. Or a woman might make her fiancé a watch fob, tiepin or bookmark as a gift to carry with him and remember her by and he might give her a locket containing a woven design made of his hair.

Another unusual method of hair remembrance were small memory books. The locks of hair from friends and family would be braided or twisted into intricate patterns, pasted into a small handmade booklet and the person's name written beside the lock of hair.

Hair wreaths popular

An even more elaborate form of hair decoration is the hair wreath. Intricate designs were created containing the hair from generations of a family, added onto year by year as family members passed on or moved away. The wreath would be passed on through the family with new generations assuming the duty of adding in hair over the years. Hair was woven and braided into dozens of flower styles, leaves, pine cones, nests, birds, and grasses. A variety of hair colors was desirable to give a wreath multiple tones to better distinguish the individual elements of the wreath. (Some hair colors, such as bright reds, were even traded with persons outside the immediate family to give the wreath a 'splash' of bright color)

Creating a hair wreath or jewelry involved delicate work, similar to tatting or weaving lace. The hair strands were woven, braided, and wrapped around thin wires so the hair could be shaped and formed. Hair was wound around small tubes, boiled and dried so the tube could be removed and the hair would retain its shape.

This wired and shaped hair would then be molded and shaped into flowers, petals, and leaves and incorporated into wreaths. The wreaths were further enhanced with ribbon, beads and pieces of cut glass and crystal to add sparkling dewdrops into the pattern. The memorial was often placed behind glass in a shadow box to be hung up on the wall.

After the 1890s the popularity of hair jewelry dropped off as clothing fashions changed and smaller more delicate jewelry became more fashionable.

At Noyes House Museum

Today, while some find this form of memorial disturbing many people appreciate the intricate detail of the designs used in hair wreaths and jewelry. And they are a much-prized addition to our collection at the Noyes House Museum. Located in the historic village of Morrisville, the Noyes House Museum's 17 rooms and barn exhibits focus on 19th-century life in Morristown.

The museum is closed through May reopening in June. For more information email the Noyes House Museum at noyeshousemuseum@gmail.com.

Laure LaForce is the curator of the Noyes House Museum, 122 Lower Main St., in Morrisville.