Pam Lozier 508-347-0323, plozier@osv.org
Ann Lindblad 508-795-0535, alindblad@rdwgroup.com
In this 1831 portrait from the Old Sturbridge Village collection, 17-year-old Betsey Ann Randall of Woodstock, VT wears a popular hairstyle of the day, with clusters of “sausage curls” at the sides. OSV Interpreters will demonstrate “Hairdressing 1830s Style: Her Crowning Glory” at 1:30 p.m. Sat. Feb. 16 prior to its annual Washington’s Birthday Ball. The events are part of a full schedule of school vacation week activities at the Village from Feb. 16-24.
(STURBRIDGE, MA) - Jan. 21, 2008: The key to stylish hair today may be a good blow dryer, but in the 1830s secret ingredients for a “good hair day” might well have been bear grease and rum, according to historians at Old Sturbridge Village.
Prior to OSV’s annual Washington’s Birthday Ball, interpreters will present “Hairdressing 1830s Style: Her Crowning Glory” at 1:30 p.m. Sat. Feb. 16, demonstrating how women of the day styled their hair for special occasions. The ball follows at 2:30 p.m. The events are part of a full schedule of indoor and outdoor February school vacation activities at OSV from Feb. 16-24.
Popular hairstyles in the 1830s were fashionably sleek and worked best with greasy hair, according to Old Sturbridge Village Interpreter Linda Oakley. “Bear grease was the hair gel of the day, but surprisingly, it didn’t smell. Some brands were scented with rose water.” As for the rum, Oakley says women in the 1830s used it as a shampoo. “Rum would clean the hair and scalp, but not strip them of natural oils.”
“Most women in early New England didn’t wash their hair very often, especially in the winter,” Oakley adds. “With no central heating, wet hair might often freeze, even indoors. To get rid of the dust and dirt, women brushed their hair every night, which also distributed the oils down to the tips of the hair to condition it.”
For fancy dress occasions like the Washington’s Birthday Ball, hair was parted in the center, sleeked close to the head and pinned into a bun on the crown of the head. Side sections were curled, twisted or braided. Combs, pins, beads, feathers and pearls were also popular adornments.
Many women wore false curls, which supplemented natural hair and made dressing faster. Old Sturbridge Village has several examples of false curls and hairpieces from the period in its antiques collection.
In addition to the Washington’s Birthday Ball, Old Sturbridge Village will offer a full range of indoor activities include hearthside cooking, churning butter, dipping candles, making tin cookie cutters and baking cookies, and making a George Washington “thaumatrope,” a 19th century toy that simulates animation. For fresh air and outdoor fun a scavenger hunt throughout the village is offered daily, and visitors can always visit the farm animals and see how they keep warm in the winter.
Old Sturbridge Village celebrates New England life in the 1830s and is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tues.– Sun., and all Mon. holidays. Admission: $20; seniors $18; children 3-17, $6; children under 3, free. All programs are subject to change. For times and details of all OSV activities visit: www.osv.org or call 1-800-SEE-1830.
