Strange but True

Marcel Waving Iron

HV973.94.29

For those people without naturally
curly hair, the heated waving iron
was used to crimp the hair into soft
waves for the evening. Be careful how
hot the iron is or you may have a new
bobbed hair style whether you want it
or not. Find out more about this
hairstyle at "the Genteel".

Hair Receiver

HV973.39.3

In the late 1800s, and even into the early 1900s, ladies would keep a hair receiver on their dressing tables. Why? The container was used to save hair, taken from a brush. The hair was placed in the bowl through the round hole in the top. Keeping hair was a popular souvenir of friendship, especially to remember people who had moved far away, or died. Hair was kept in lockets, and sometimes woven into crafts. You can find an example of a "Hair Wreath" - a popular Victorian craft - at the Annapolis Royal blog The hair receiver would be part of a dressing table set in a ladies boudoir. In the days of long, long hair for women it was customary to save the strands of hair that came out with brushing. The hair is placed in the bowl through the round hole in the top. When the bowl is full the top is lifted off to access the hair. http://www.annapolisroyalheritage.blogspot.ca/2010/03/victorian-hair-wreath.html

Moustache Curler

971.17.168

Used by gentlemen to shape their moustaches when handle-bar moustaches were popular in the late 1800s and into the early 1900s. It functions much like a curling iron, though likely did not use heat but moustache wax to shape the tips of the moustache.

Learn more about this moustache style on Wikipedia