Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-06-14
The Human Hair.

From Household W ords.J
The market of human hair would be very IN
sufficiently supplied il it depended solely on
chance elippines. There must be regular bar
vest. which can be looked forward to at par
| ticular fine And a. there different markets
for black tea aud green tea, for black pepper
and white pepper for brown brandy anu pnie
brandy-so i there light hair market distinct
from the dark hair market. The black hair I'M
| ported into England comes from Brittany and the
south Of France; it is generally Of very fine
and silken black. The light hair comes from
| Germany, where il is collected by the agents OF
a Dutch company. who make yearly visits to the
various parts of the Germanic Stntes. Forty
years ago the fashion very different from
that now prevailing; thu light German hair was
more priced than any o.her; and there was n pc
culiar golden tint held in such high estimation,
that the dealers could obtain eight shillings an
ounce for small quantities ofit-nearly double
the price of silver. But the black hair of France
now rules the market. There is an opinion u
mong those who have the best right to opne on
such subject, that the average hair of average
English persons has deepened in tint with
in the last half century. II this be So it
is attributed to the more frequent intermarrlages
with nation nearer to the sunny south. Whetl.-
er dark or light, however, the hair which the
dealer buys as marketable commodity becomes
to him an article of wonderfully close scrutiny
he can tell by the smell alone the ference be-
tween German and Frenel hair; he claims the
power to dist ngui>h English, Scotch, Irish and
Welsh hair one from another. The French
dealers can detect the difference between the
hair from two districts of central France, not
many miles asunderby tokens so slight as would
battle the most learned among Psychologists
or ,turasts.
The French hair market is very remarkable
Its dealings extend to two hundred thousand
pounds weight of hair annually. There are
wholesale firms in Paris, which send round a
gents in the spring to various Breton and other
villages. These agents provided with RIB
bons, silks. laccs, haberdashery, and cheap jew
elry of various kinds. They attend fairs and
merrymakings, and they buy glossy tresses, for
which they pay either with these goods or in
money. Mr.. Trollope, while travelling in Brit
tany. stopped awhile at the fair in Collene, and
more struck by the operations of the hair
dealers Than by anything else which met his no.
tice. In various parts of the motley crowd there
were three or four of these dealers bargaining
with the girls for their flowing resses, which
were very luxuriant and beautiful. Several
girls were standing together ready to be sheared
They held their caps in their hands; and their
long hair hung down to the waist. Some of the
operators were men and some women; but in eth
err case the dealer had large basket near at
hand, into which every successive crop of hair,
far us personal beauty is concerned, the girls do
not lose much by losing then hair; for it is the
fashion in that part of France to wear a close
cap, which entirely prevents any part of the
hair from being seen, and, of course, as totally
conceals the want oft. The luxuriant crop of
hair, which the dealer has obtained for a franc
or two is sorted and arranged, and passes from
hand to hand until il makes lis final appearance
perukc, or some other delicate deu-ion.-
The price paid to these girls seems to vary from
one tranc to five francs per head leach weighing
from three quarters of a pound to pound,) ac-
cordng to the quantity and beauty of the hair
SO much does it rise in value by the collecting,
the sorting, the cleaning. and other preparatory
processes, that its wholesale market price is ge-
morally from thirty to sixty shillings per pound.
Choice heads of hair, ike choice old pictures, or
choice old china, have no linn to the price which
they may occasionally command.
But it appears that ladies', without sending to
France for Breton girls locks, are encomag-
ed to make trinkets for themselves, with the stray
tilamentS which result from each days toilet pro
ceedings. We shond not have thought this; but
there are many things which man is not suppos-
! to think until he is told thereon. We have late
! ly seen Treasures beautiful crimson bound
! book with golden ENDORSEMENTS and golden edged
leaves. 1t is written by professor and artistic
an drtistcde chereur--and see in that full
account of the mo le in which bracelets, and lock
cts. and brooches, and ear rings, and feathers,
aud flowers, and rings, may be made of hair
The professor takes stanza by Emerson as his
| motto:
''When soul from body takes its flight,
What gives surviving friends delight,
When vicw'd by day, expressed by night!
Their locks of hair"