Hair Art

Before photographs, there were cameos, miniature portraits, and... hair art. Yes, hair art. As a means of memento, hair art was often created from the hair of deceased loved ones. This hobby became popular in the Victorian period, and there are actually still artisans who specialize in creating keepsakes made from hair. Hair art varies from framed bouquet-like designs to intricate jewelry. There's not much else to say about it, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

A wreath (possibly prepared for a funeral) made from a girl's and and her mother's hair. (This is from a wonderful hair art entry on The Constant Gatherer blog.)



A page from a "hair album" dated 1865, found on hairworkssociety.org



Leila's Hair Museum in Independence, Missouri (picture from Atlas Obscura)



Page from 1875 hair art catalogue, listed on an antiques dealer's website



I know it's kind of creepy, but wouldn't it be cool to own a piece of art made from the hair of an ancestor?