The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-11-24
A HUMAN HAIR FAIR.

| WOmen Bringing hefr 1resSeS 10 NdTfet'
Very few of our gentle readers, probably
ever heard or imagined such a thing as a
| Human Hair Fair. AS few, perhaps, ever
thought of inquiring into the source of the
beautiful tresses which are seen in the win
dows of the hair dressers. We are remind
ed. however. by late French paper, that
this is the season of the annual hair fair at
Morlaas, in the lower Pyrenees in France.
Morlaas is near the city of Pau, and it is
from Pau journal that we derive some ac-
count of the fair the present season. The
hair dealers crowd into the place from all
points from Toulouse, and even Bordeaux,
famous for their fine and abundant heads of
hair, flock to the market like sheep, to be
shorn of their locks for the adornment of
other and prouder heads. Even young hus-
bands accompany their wives, TO insist upon
their despoiling themselves, for trhing
consideration, of their beautiful heads of
hair. Twenty francs is the highest price
which is given for the richest head of hair,
and a majority of the damsels part with
their locks for tenth part of that sum.
This singular market is held in the open
street, and attracts crowds of curious as
we'll as interested persons. Girls are seen
to be shearedin public, while others are wait
ing their turn, with their caps in their hands,
and their long hair combed out and hanging
down to their waists. The shearers are men
as we'll as women. Some of our fair readers
will conclude that this must be degrading
scene. But how else could the stock of
wigs, and frizettes, and bands, and top
pieces, and curls which is needed to prop
up the tottering beauty of the sex, be sup
piled Tons of black silken hair, sheared
in the manner above described, from the
heads of the peasant damsels of the south
of France, are imported into this country
annually.
There are fairs in other places in the south
of France and in Brittany, where adventu-
rous virtuosos buy up and shear the crops
of the fair haired damsels. At first brush,
it would seem that female vanity would eff
fectually prevent such traffic as this. But
cupidity and Incidence are stronger pas
sions than vanity; and fashion even lends
its aid to this singular custom of parting
with the finest ornament to the person which
nature affords.
In Brittany, particularly, where the finest
and most silken black hair is procured, it is
the universal fashion, from childhood up
wards, to wear caps closely as complete
ly to conceal the hair. The peasant girls
there have particularly fine hair, and in the
greatest abundance. It is so common as
not to be mark of beauty and the people
are morally incapable of appreciating it as
intrinsically beautiful and attractive. It's
a truth which ought not to be told, perhaps,
in the presence of all our ladies', that the
charming frizettes and tresses which beau
tify the heads of our blooming bellies, may
possibly have been shorn from Breton dam
sells of very filthy and loathsome habits.
The Bretons are neither Normans nor
French, but more Welsh than any thing
else; and they are wild and savage; and as
idle and dirty as human nature can well be
and exist. The poorer women wear their
dresses till they become dirty, patched. tat
tered and ragged, so that the material of
which they are made can be scarcely trac-
ed. The houses of the peasants are gener-
ally built of mud and without convenience.
The chestnut, which abounds in the coun-
try, furnishes, to a considerable extent, the
food of the poorer classes. Although in
habiting fine country, capable of render
ing them prosperous and wealthy, the Bre-
tons grovel on in supine idleness and dirt.
No wonder the women sell their hair, which
is abundant and marketable. The people
are accustomed to subsis: upon the products
of spontaneous crops. In the Pyrenees.
the people are industrious and frugal, and
the women are accustomed to regard a fine
head of black or dark brown hair as only
luxurious burden.