With the ubiquity of wigs in the eighteenth century, it is no surprise that a day’s work might include working on multiple models, with looming deadlines. Because the wigmakers at Colonial Williamsburg previously ordered their nettings from separate sources before Betty and Debbie learned how to do it themselves, I assume it was a distinct sub trade in the colonial era as well. This activity required considerable concentration. For us, making the netting proved to be far more challenging than plaiting the hair. Debbie demonstrated the technique of netting, the support structure that allowed the maker to stitch the hair onto a prepared cap. Wig maintenance, shaving, new commissions, and other sales work put a strain on one’s schedule. Note the curling irons that were heated on the iron stove.ĭemand was uneven. Her blurred hands reflects the speed with which she works using the kinetic memory acquired from years of practice. The level of skill varied, I imagined, depending on the type of wig ordered, and quality of hair you were working with.īetty is weaving a knot, teaching Willie and Jesse how to do it. The mental energy went to making sure the wig was progressing at an even pace, and that the hair was plaited evenly and at the right length. Although the repetitious movements might be fatiguing to beginners, Betty had tied so many knots over the years that she could work quickly without thinking about what she was doing. Wigmaking was a low-impact activity, requiring the maker to remain stationary for a long period of time. Curling irons, dyes, powders, and pomades were the final components in dressing the wigs, much as a barber or hairdresser would curl and dress the hair on a person’s head. Our next step would be taking the newly completed row of hair from the tressing frame and attaching it to netting pinned to the blockhead (a head-shaped block molded to the client’s dimensions). The pattern was outwardly simple, but the work took concentration so the hair didn’t slip off or knot. ![]() Using a diagram of the pattern, we took strands of hair and wove it on to the frame, using over-under motions to secure the hair onto the string. The frame was constructed with a block of wood supporting two pins connected by three strings at either end. The tressing frame was portable Betty referenced making wigs as easily on her couch at home as in the shop.Įrica ties knots of hair on a tressing frame. Although a great deal of the work of making wigs is done below stairs or away from the shop front, we were able to see the basic instruments and tools for producing the braided hair needed to construct the body of the wig. The shop of the wigmaker was modest, but contained plenty of display wigs, showcasing the range of clientele these tradesmen might service. For making wig dyes, workers used a variety of coloring agents from animal and vegetable sources to heavy metals such as lead, mercury and even arsenic. Within limits, a skilled wigmaker could reshape the wig and color it to the client’s specifications as fashions changed or the owner aged. Many ladies and gentlemen owned wig stands for their wigs or kept them in boxes. Woman’s wig with frigate based on a print source it is mounted on a wig stand. Some were dignified others were playful and silly. Hygiene was a pressing issue in the eighteenth century, and the wigmaker supplied unguents, powders, and remedies for body odors, dirty hair, lice, and other ailments. The shop also sold products for maintaining wigs and assisting with hair care. Most wigmakers imported human hair from Europe, where young peasant women grew and then sold their hair for the trade. In ascending order, hair prices ranged from the cheap–goat, yak, and horse–to the most expensive–human hair. Owned originally by George Charlton, its services included shaving, measuring the pate, barbering, and wigmaking. ![]() In the late eighteenth century, it was one of several similar businesses in Williamsburg. Master Betty Myers and journeywoman Debbie Turpin operated the Peruke and Wig Maker’s shop when we visited.
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