03/19/2025
Yes, I'm still obsessed with hair wreaths, in case you were wondering. :)
The Lost Art of Hair Wreaths
Have you ever seen a hair wreath? Have you ever even heard of one? Primarily popular during the Victorian era (mid-to-late 1800s), hair wreaths were amazingly intricate creations made with human hair. The detail, the patience, the talent and artistry that were obviously utilized to create such a family legacy, is strangely breathtaking.
The process of creating a hair wreath was done by tediously twisting, looping and weaving hair around wire to create leaves, flowers and other shapes, sometimes adding beads and other decorative pieces
Often these wreaths were made to memorialize deceased loved ones, by preserving a tangible piece of that person.
The shape of the wreath was most often that of a horseshoe, with the top open, representing that all ascend to heaven.This practice was considered a form of mourning art, with women meticulously crafting the pieces from hair collected from family members, most times, incorporating the hair of multiple individuals into a single wreath to create a family heirloom, with the most recently deceased party's hair placed in the middle of the wreath.
This symbolized a family's connection and shared loss. A family wreath was ceremoniously placed in a shadow box on a canvas of silk or velvet and displayed in the family home, as a way to recall their lineage and remember loved ones. Patterns to make these wreaths could be purchased at stores and in magazines, like National Geographic, which regularly printed patterns, with instructions.
While hair art existed before the Victorian era, the practice became widespread during Queen Victoria's reign, particularly after the death of her husband, Prince Albert. Reportedly, the queen fashioned a necklace made from her late husband's hair, sparking renewed interest in the art and almost instantly, mourning customs became more prominent across the UK.
Later in the US, during and after The Civil War, the hair wreath was extremely popular, as women gathered to create them while their loved ones were serving and so many were lost in the war.
The wreath shape itself represents the cycle of life and death, while the delicate hair designs of flowers, further signify remembrance and beauty even in the face of loss.
At its height of popularity during the Victorian era, hair wreaths were made for all occasions. Some were wedding wreaths for newly married couples. Some schools and churches would gather locks from their student body and/or congregation and create a commemorative wreath.
Sometimes, when a loved one died, a few strands of their hair was made into a small wreath, (or other shape), then mailed to a family who lived too far away to attend a relative's funeral, as a memento.
As funeral practices evolved and attitudes towards death shifted, the custom of creating hair wreaths gradually faded, particularly in the early 20th century. Yet the intrigue lingers and remnants of this custom remain. For example, most parents will keep a lock of their child's hair.
Hair wreaths are a lost art of family heritage. And are now regarded as collector's items. If you are lucky enough to have one of your family lineage, then you possess a rare and cherished heirloom.
If you are interested in seeing a family hair wreath, there is one on display at West GA Museum. It was brought to Tallapoosa in 1898 from Vermont by the Barton family. It is a stunning example of the skill and dedication it took to create this form of a family's legacy.
*Article Originally published in The Gateway-Beacon Feb 22, 2025
By Susan Horsley-Pitts.
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