After presenting my lecture on hairdressing recently, I thought I might choose to share what resources I use to find information about hair history. There are some surprising sources in this list.
Janet Stephens on YouTube -https://www.youtube.com/@jntvstp- Janet presents examples of historic hairstyling using only the tools that would have been available at any particular time period. She is fascinating to watch as she creates styles from antiquity.
Tristan on YouTube -https://www.youtube.com/@rbd4n- Tristan scans publications from old hair magazines. These are simple slideshows that don't add any fluff, just the pictures. However, it is an invaluable resource for viewing more vintage styling.
British Pathé on YouTube -https://www.youtube.com/@britishpathe- You can find old newsreels that share some of the hairstyles that might have been shared before a feature film. Wonderful to see these films preserved.
Schmetterlingtag shop on Etsy -etsy.com/shop/schmetterlingtag- I have found many reproductions of antique and vintage books on this particular Etsy shop. When I am unable to locate an original, or unable to afford an original, these reproductions are a good substitute.
Newspapers.com -newspapers.com- You can use the search feature on this website and locate instances of all manner of hair history. I have found information as far back as the late 1700s. It truly goes to show that people will people and they have been doing it forever.
ABEBooks.com -abebooks.com- My go-to source for original books and publications. ABE is connected to many small bookstores around the world. Usually the books are decently affordable. I have found some real treasures on this website.
Glamourdaze.com -glamourdaze.com- With a little more focus on the retro and vintage styles of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Glamourdaze is a treasure trove of sources on historic hair and makeup information.
beautyisathingofthepast.blogspot.com -beautyisathigofthepast.blogspot.com- This is a now defunct blog page, last being updated in 2017, but it has some fun posts about hair and beauty.
Patents on Google -patents.google.com- Finding patents for various apparati is a delightful task. I have discovered many tools that were, at least, thought of earlier than I was aware of. Now some of these patented devices were never acted upon further than the actual obtaining of said patent, but it is interesting to see.
I hope that this was a good start to finding more information regarding hair and hair history. I know I have enjoyed many evenings of hopping down the rabbit hole of hairdressing and how it was done.
