18th century wigs [books]

Corson the first 500 years is an integral part of the learning process for majority if not all of my projects. At the begining of each century an introduction into the stylings of the hair in the era as well as the processes and symbolic styles are outlined. This can be seen to the right with an caricature of Mary Darly in 1777

Curls really reached the peak of wear at the beginning of the century, prior to the movement of taller wigs where women were described as '7 feet tall' and men often wondered 'will she cast off her head dress and surprise me with something?'.  The idea of the skirts and dresses becoming narrower towards the middle of the century and the hair becoming taller wider and more intricate

is what caricatures of Mary Darly (left and right) significantly represents. Women were often made fun of for their large wigs, however this was the idea of the females who wore the attention grabbing wigs. The products of powder were often used to replicate the expense of white hair and left the aristocrats with wigs full of dirt and often rats.

The history of hair continues this analysis of the hair, in a much shorter capacity, however an image of Georgiana with her daughter is included (see right)Her hair is referred to as 'the hedgehog style'.

It discusses the Americans adaptation of tall wigs almost a century after France first began the movement. Also discussed is Mary
Antoinette's hair which after childbirth thinned so much that

she began to adopt shorter styles, replicated by her servants and eventually the rest of Europe. Images again of the hair being powdered in large plumes can be seen.

The visual of the 18th century and the value of hair is very similar through each book providing a good level of research to

the project.

The encyclopaedia of hair discusses the shift in hair and the effects on culture more in-depth. The desire of lawyers, doctors and other such tradesmen to down their wigs and instead powder their own hair became a gesture of loyalty to their country after the dawn of the French Revolution. Women began replacing their

elaborate wigs with more subtle wigs, adorned with pins and combs rather than heavy expensive ornaments. The styles began to resemble that of the women in ancient greece (Also quoted by Corson.) The book also considers the references from different eras to that of the eighteenth century (left image). The comprehensive history of hair I have researched so far has enabled me to continue developing designs for the project, looking more at the techniques and styles relevant to period that can be referenced within my designs.