Hair Wreath

One artifact in the museum that rarely fails to shock onlookers is the 1870 wreath of hair made by Mary Renton of Carluke, Ontario. Although seen as somewhat unusual by today’s standards, hair art thrived from the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries. The wreath in the museum was made during the Victorian Era, a golden age for all kinds of hairy objects including rings, bracelets, necklaces, toothpick holders, and lockets. Hair is a great material to make objects out of because it can last for hundreds, if not thousands, of years in dryoitions without deteriorating. Hair has held important symbolic and sentimental roles for as long as organized burial has been practiced. Samson and the Nazarites believed hair was a source of strength and a Swedish proverb links hair bracelets to increased feelings of love. Having a lock of someone’s hair in a locket is still sometimes seen today. Hair wreaths are always arranged as an upwards-pointing horseshoe to bring the family good luck. New pieces would be added first on the very bottom and then up either side. Wreaths were sometimes given as meaningful wedding presents to the bride in a time when marriage often meant moving out of communication range with one’s family. Large groups like church congregations also sometimes made wreaths with pieces of each member’s hair. Wreaths also served mourning purposes. After the death of a family member, a lock of their hair would be taken for the family wreath. In this way, hair wreaths became visual family trees in a time before photography. Hair art is now mostly history. Very few people today have the skills and knowledge necessary to make exquisite items like the hair wreath. This wreath is one of many objects from the past that call the Historical Museum home.