hair accessories

[xamier]

Greetings:

I am looking for information on hair accessories.

I have found a Patten date for rubber bands in 1845. I can’t find any information on when they were commonly used for holding hair.

Combs, hair sticks (one point hair pins), and double point hair pins appear to have been in use for centuries in many cultures including ours.

I am having difficulty finding any information on when the barrette was created or used. (I have fine hair and a lot of difficulty with combs. Sometimes I would kill for a barrette or rubber band as I struggle to do a period hair style):D

Books to look in, references etc would be very helpful.

Respectfully,
Betty Morgan

[KathyBradford]

Re: hair accessories

Betty,

Alaina Zulli has collected a wealth of information and pictures on her website. http://www.gothampatterns.com/

Enjoy!

[Spinster]

Re: hair accessories

Miss Betty,

I'm having difficulty sending mail out of my personal account. When I went to air the feather beds yesterday, I found your missing needlework case neatly tucked just inside the sack opening. I will contact you later this week for ship or hold instructions.....

[xamier]

Re: hair accessories

Hello:
Miss Kathy: Thank you for the site, it is very interesting. Many good tips on doing period hair styles. I notice that she is using pins and combs as the only method to hold the style. I am really curious about when barrettes were introduced and where they came from.

I wear my hair in a most of a period style daily, (I don't always pin it up) If I use barrettes and elastic I can have it done within five minutes. Using combs,ribbon, and pins I struggle for 30 and it might not stay up.

I find it odd that barrettes just seem to spring from nowhere. I can easily find history on pins and combs. Is there another name for barrettes that I can search under? I would also be interested in any clips or helps that were used to hold the hair while it was being dressed.

Thank you for your assistance.

Miss Terre:
Thank you, I was hoping that you had the case. I was fixing to morn my lost hooks. I hope that your mother is doing better. When you get back into communication, could you please tell me about Mill Springs?

Respectfully,
Betty Morgan

[33rd VA Co. H]

Re: hair accessories

Greetings:

I am looking for information on hair accessories.

I have found a Patten date for rubber bands in 1845. I can’t find any information on when they were commonly used for holding hair.

Combs, hair sticks (one point hair pins), and double point hair pins appear to have been in use for centuries in many cultures including ours.

I am having difficulty finding any information on when the barrette was created or used. (I have fine hair and a lot of difficulty with combs. Sometimes I would kill for a barrette or rubber band as I struggle to do a period hair style):D

Books to look in, references etc would be very helpful.

Respectfully,
Betty Morgan

Betty,
While hair care is certainly out of my area of studies,... I can assist you slightly by confirming that barrettes of sorts were in use during the Civil War period. Last November a friend of mine excavated a piece from an '62-'63 Union winter hut site that we determined had likely belonged to a "lady" visitor to camp. Several guys first thought it went to some sort of medal or ribbon but the rusted iron clip on the back was very similar to a modern style barrette and thus this piece was identified as a hair clip. I cropped the photo I had and left the NY coat button there to show approximate size. It is made of brass and may have had some engraving in the flat area. Sorry I don't have a picture of the back but I recall it being very similar to modern style squeeze/pop barrettes like my better half wears.

[Spinster]

Re: hair accessories

Greg,

Is there any possibility of getting the current location and owner of this piece? (And thus a picture of the back) , as well as the line of reasoning, archeological write up, and so forth that led y'all to date this to the war?

I've seen Miss Betty struggle with her wonderful waist length hair, which spits out pins and combs of every make and model known, but coils up nicely with the aid of 2 metal clip barrettes. While one robin does not a springtime make, one excavated wartime barrette would give us a dandy start...

[xamier]

Re: hair accessories

Betty,
While hair care is certainly out of my area of studies,... I can assist you slightly by confirming that barrettes of sorts were in use during the Civil War period. <<>>very similar to a modern style barrette and thus this piece was identified as a hair clip.<<>>I recall it being very similar to modern style squeeze/pop barrettes like my better half wears.

Mr Greg:
Thank you very much. This is the 1st period image of a barrette I have ever seen. The lack of information about hair clips seems very odd considering that most woman in our period and prior had very long hair. Barrettes and clips are mind boggling useful in managing long hair styles. I really wonder when this device was invented, when it came into popular use, and why so little information is easily available on this subject.
Respectfully,
Betty Morgan

[33rd VA Co. H]

Re: hair accessories

Greg,

Is there any possibility of getting the current location and owner of this piece? (And thus a picture of the back) , as well as the line of reasoning, archeological write up, and so forth that led y'all to date this to the war?

I've seen Miss Betty struggle with her wonderful waist length hair, which spits out pins and combs of every make and model known, but coils up nicely with the aid of 2 metal clip barrettes. While one robin does not a springtime make, one excavated wartime barrette would give us a dandy start...

Mrs Weaver,
The current location/owner of that piece will be hard to track down as I don't remember who exactly excavated it. I had a bunch of friends digging that area so maybe I can get a name from one of them. The chance of getting a photo of the back are slim but I'll see what I can do.

There is no "archaeological write up" available to go along with this piece. There were some forms filled out listing the approximate locations and artifacts found but in all honesty,... I do not have access to those writeups and am not sure who has been compiling them. They are not formal writeups but do attempt to be as detailed as possible. I know DP Newton has visited each dig and mapped the locations of the camps as they were found. If you ever get to White Oak Museum... he can tell you everything you want to know about Stoneman's Switch.

This artifact came out of a row of huts in an unidentified regimental camp just behind that of the '62-'63 winter quarters of the 12th New York at Stoneman's Switch near Fredericksburg, Va. The fact that the piece came from deep in the hut along with I know at least one US plate, several bottles and other relics pretty much confirms it time period.

I'll go fishing and see if I can find out where that piece currently resides and if I may be able to get a picture of the back. I knew when I posted it that folks would want to see the back but alas... a frontal photo was all I had. If I can obtain another photo,... I'll gladly post it for you ladies.

[LindaTrent]

Re: hair accessories

Last November a friend of mine excavated a piece from an '62-'63 Union winter hut site that we determined had likely belonged to a "lady" visitor to camp.

I have to agree with Terre, that I would like to know more about this particular piece. I've not seen evidence of hair barrettes in our period, and this is the only example that anyone's been able to come up with so far. There are a lot of questions that need to be asked, for example:

Why are we assuming that this piece was actually left there during the war years and not during the decades after the war when someone visited the site? It could still be 100 years old!

Supposing it was from the period was it a lady's barrette, or a child's?

If it was worn by a lady, it something everyday/common, or something worn only by a certain ethnic group till later in the century?

If a lady, was she young or old? Was she on the cutting edge of fashion, or was she working class?

For what it's worth, the term barrette does not appear in our 1853 dictionary, but then it could have been called something else. :confused_

But it is an interesting piece and it does raise some interesting questions! Thanks for posting it.

Linda.

[33rd VA Co. H]

Re: hair accessories

I have to agree with Terre, that I would like to know more about this particular piece. I've not seen evidence of hair barrettes in our period, and this is the only example that anyone's been able to come up with so far. There are a lot of questions that need to be asked, for example:

Why are we assuming that this piece was actually left there during the war years and not during the decades after the war when someone visited the site? It could still be 100 years old!

Supposing it was from the period was it a lady's barrette, or a child's?

If it was worn by a lady, it something everyday/common, or something worn only by a certain ethnic group till later in the century?

If a lady, was she young or old? Was she on the cutting edge of fashion, or was she working class?

For what it's worth, the term barrette does not appear in our 1853 dictionary, but then it could have been called something else. :confused_

But it is an interesting piece and it does raise some interesting questions! Thanks for posting it.

Linda.

To try and answer some of your questions,...

This piece was obviously lost during the war years as it was found buried in a 3' deep hut along with other Civil War artifacts. It is definitely Civil War period or earlier. I suppose it could be argued that it was lost during the reconstruction but I've dug and seen so many of those huts dug that I am convinced beyond a doubt that they are indeed untouched Civil War time capsules. During the reconstruction these holes/huts were filled in and sealed as they were. Anything that was in them was there for good as most huts were 2 feet deep or more and most everything was along the floor well below the plow zone. I guess someone being extremely argumentative could say that it could have been lost it in the years between the war and the reconstruction process being completed by someone visiting the site but even that would mean that it was a CW period or brand new 1866ish piece at the time lost. I doubt there was a whole lot of activity at this camp between the war and the huts being filled in as the carbine, muskets, swords and other valueable items I've seen found would certainly have been liberated by whom ever was visiting. That hair clip is absolutly period, period.

I am of the opinion that it did not belong to a child. In all the years I dug the camps at Stoneman's Switch I do not recall anyone ever finding children's items. Not even a marble. The consensus was that it belonged to a lady camp follower. Sure I suppose it could have been from someone's wife but these were not officer's huts and I doubt there was a rash of visitations from enlisted men's wives from hundreds of miles away. This camp was likely another New York regimental camp but we could never confirm which regiment.

As far as was it worn every day, young or old, hip or square.... well you're guess is as good as mine. I wouldn't be surprised if that piece had been silvered when new but that wouldn't mean it wasn't worn every day. That I suppose will never be known.

Since the term barrette wasn't known until later.... in the future I'll just call it a hair clip... and while we're on the subject....please pardon my use of "dug". It's a relic hunter thang.:D

[motozulli]

Re: hair accessories

This isn't really an answer- just a note that I have been actively looking for evidence of hair-clips to our period and haven't found anything yet.

The OED lists the first uses of the word "barrette" (in this usage) as

1901 Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 10 Oct. 5/6 Shell Hair Barrettes, each 10 c. 1908 Westm. Gaz. 29 Feb. 13/2 The front part of the barette forms a bandeau. 1908 Ladies' Field 4 Apr. 197/1 The favourite [hair-ornament] seems to be Greek barrettes over hair combed low. 1952 M. MCCARTHY Groves of Academe (1953) ii. 21 [Girls with] jewelled barrettes in their new-washed hair.

But this is an interesting quote from the OED under "hair-clasp":

1894 A. M. EARLE Costume Colonial Times 121 *Hair~clasps. These ornaments for the hair{em}clasps to hold up the braided back hair{em}were advertised for sale in the New York newspapers and in the Connecticut Courant of January, 1791, and were worn until a simpler form of hair-dressing appeared about the year 1800.

and "hair-grips", which a later quote notes is another term for bobby-pin:

1896 Woman's Life III. 462/2 Hair-Bow (Fitted with New Safety *Hair-Grip). 1938 ‘J. BELL’ Port of London Murders vi. 91 The jug..contained..half a bootlace and two rusty hair grips.

-Alaina Zulli

[celtfiddler]

Re: hair accessories

Going to add my voice to Terre and Linda's in expressing skepticsm about this item.

The size reminds me of the pin portion of a military ribbon/medal. The shape reminds me also of a man's money clip or tie clip. Without seeing the back, it also reminds me of a lady's brooch.

[motozulli]

Re: hair accessories

I just found earlier use of the word barrette, and it does seem to refer to a type of connector or clip, but not for the hair.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON FASHION AND DRESS.
Saturday Evening Post (1839-1885). Philadelphia: May 30, 1857. pg. 5, 1 pgs

http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=203995341&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=9269&RQT=309&VName=HNP

"An evening dress of a rather novel description has recently been made. It is composed of two different materials, viz.: a maroon-coloured moire antique and taffety, chequered in white maroon. The skirt, which is of the moire antique, is open at the sides, and the openings shows [sic] an under jupe made of chequered taffety. The open edges of the moire antique skirt are connected together by barrettes and buttons of passementerie. The back of the corsage is of moire antique, and the front is of chequered taffety, with barrettes and buttons of passementerie. -London Lady's Paper, April 25


what is white maroon???

[Spinster]

Re: hair accessories

So--a barrette as something that clips on, not necessarily for the hair. Come to think of it, I've seen some old UDC items which looked very similar--- meant to clip on to a longer ribbon worn on the dress.

But, certainly a fascinating area to keep looking at--with the full knowledge that the 19th century often up and bites us in the tookus anytime we say 'didn't happen'.

Alaina, I'd lost your contact in the last "Great Crash" --I still have the notes on the prototype hair oil you sent me to experiment with, if those notes would still be usefull to you. Dandy stuff, at multiple events from 110 degrees down to 15 degrees--at which point, I went to the house. :p

[xamier]

Re: hair accessories

Miss Alaina:

Thank you so much. I was wondering if barrettes were around with another name. Hair clasp, I will keep looking as well, I would be interested in the history of this article even if it wasn't used in our period. It has picked my curiosity that such a common article has so little information available.

Another area I wonder about is paraphernalia used to put up the hair, different types of combs, brushes, clips used to hold the hair etc. Was there specialized equipment used or just a standard brush/comb?

LOL, that may be another whole thread :-)
Betty Morgan