The little red paper box was adorable because it was so dainty. It had a picture of a woman in Victorian dress on the front and a label inside that said “Hair Jewelry. Madame K. Schmitt.” I found it among some items I had bought in a box lot at auction.
I assumed that it once held a piece of beautiful gold jewelry for the hair, and felt cheated that the piece was long gone. Later, when I mentioned the box to another auction-goer, she said that it had literally held jewelry made out of human hair. That thought had never occurred to me, and I found it rather strange. But I was obviously intrigued.
I found that hair jewelry was very popular during the Victorian era and that Schmitt was one of its principal makers. Some of the jewelry was actually made of human hair, like a bracelet, and others held snips of hair in a clear case such as a brooch or had a compartment in back to hold a few strands. Click on the photo above for a fuller view of the box.
Crafting jewelry from hair was pretty common during the 19th century, according to the 2007 book “Love Entwined: The Curious History of Hairwork in America” by Helen Sheumaker. Artisans made rings, bracelets, pocket watches, lockets and brooches from hair, all by hand, along with wall decorations and keepsakes.
One of the most bizarre that I came across in my research was a tea set made entirely out of hair by the Linherr brothers of New York around 1853. I’d love to see a photo of that, but I couldn’t find one on the web. It was mentioned in a publication called Gleason’s Pictorial in 1853, which noted that it was on display at the New York Crystal Palace Exhibition, along with a hair bracelet and other jewelry by the same company. This exhibition was said to be the country’s first world’s fair.
People made the jewelry at home as well as bought it from shops. Godey’s Lady’s Book from the 1850s laid out instructions on how to prepare the hair at home, and offered patterns for such things as bracelets, earrings and chains.
The upper crust, I’m sure, went to people like Madame K. (or Katharine) Schmitt. She opened a shop in Philadelphia in 1854 with a partner, designing both hair-work pieces and regular jewelry, according “Love Entwined,” but they parted ways in the early 1870s. A lyre-shaped fob that they made is in the Smithsonian, the book said.
Schmitt appeared to have been a businesswoman who was savvy about marketing. She entered and won competitions, and used the awards on advertisements for her business.
On the web, I came across one of her calling cards noting that she had received an award for excellence in hair jewelry from Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute in 1874. It also mentioned that she had been presented with a silver medal for superiority in hair jewelry at a Franklin exposition in 1854. The institute held competitions to recognize the skills of these artisans.
Schmitt also won medals at the Philadelphia Centennial in 1876, she noted in an advertisement. According to the book, her design styles were common. The style apparently was not important; the hair was the thing. In fact, the book said, customers could choose from several of her designs. She was also able to hire several female workers in her shop, which remained open until 1900, according to the book.
Here are some examples of Victorian hair jewelry. And here’s an organization for those interested in the craft, the Victorian Hair Work Society.
