The New York herald., 1869-01-29
THE WEARING OF THE WIG

THE WEARING OF THE WIG
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Ann.al Csse q ~ Clsyss BaIss Hah-rhe
Cost and Trade ~ wiss In Ancrica-na.i.
puIatIon Of rho Couture ~ Fine Art
Eavsrits Celsrs and Nasienslifies Mess
a ANected-statIstics or. the Hair Tradc-.
Fashions, Past and Pressss-Hnfs Of Spring
Novelties.
In comparison with the English the Americans, -
nation, are fond Of wearing wigs. In fact IN this
age OF blonde Juror spite Of the capricious PARIS
ian brunette fiat peremprorly decreasing the dyetna
OF the blondel q massiveiy adorned wig, Of either
max, gold or aubnrn. bristling thick with Jove-Hke
curls OF one OF the above csiers, h no uncommon
sight In the street, beneath which peeps . ragged
telitale fringe OF either black chestnut or iron
aray, at the narrow edge OF the scrawny neck
or upon the furrowed time-worn temples, which
ct once convlnces the sceptical observer that
tine wig is worn entirely for ornament,
and OF q hue indicating not Natures bui
the individual taste OF the wearer. Any cosmo-
politan will readily bear witness to such sight
which convinces that literal street Guys much
less infrequent than theatrical Guise would have us
suppose. For OF one thing rest assured the nearer
q gentlemans natural hair approximates to black,
the nearer win his wig approach the hue OF either
gold or max.
As for the ladies-the rdear creatures are privi-
leged-and depending on Paris as they do Tor their
compilations, figures toilets 'sbends," twists'' and
touts ensembles generally, it's wonder II they do
she SAYS in the matter Of their hair and II Paris
says Ia brunette this season for change, at least
is 1t wonder II the golden haired portion OF her
depQtses pause for q moment, onguenU In hand, ere
they pour on the noating sunbeams, the perfectly
harmless" liquid which instantaneously transforms
xpat~~ a AZ iv,tn NJ
nut or rich auburn hair, at the will Of the fair
wearere And yet they do complain, some Of them.
La Blonde had queened 1t too long in Fashions
court to be displaced even for season by her darkt
haired sister rival. And at the brunette
edict, arose rebellion IN her midst as well. Fair.
haired women took their stand at once
boldly in favor Of their "lnt-white' locks. Bruno
cavaliers (of course) and not few blonde ones as
well rushed gallanty to the rescue: and the result
has been-even In the hey-day Of the popularity Of
dark hair and skins-a divided reign. Blonde hair
has Oeen otherwise than fashionable although
for the last year dark also OF every tint and
shade has been equally worn and admired. The con-
tinunce OF this prevalence Of blonde nnes in Paris
has probably been due to the fact that the Empress'
own exquisite ceueI Of the rarest order Of golden
auburn-a tint so rare among the French to justly
entitle ner to the exhibition Of great pride In its
adornmcnt and display.
About 80, 900 is set down as the annual amount
expended by the city Of New York for Its false hair
Between five ana six hundred hair merchants dis
tribute the hair purchased by tins immense amount
OF money at both wholesale and retail establishments
throughout the city ana its envrons. Beside these
legitimate warehouses Of the trade within the few
last years, since the demand has grown SO great for
the artcle IL Is now sold, in less quantity,
In nearly every description Of store but the dry goods
grocery, confectionery and book store. Even In the
ners esapsnmens o sae presedt ed Gay SmoDs
becoming head gear, braids coils, twists, curlss
chignons. entire ana single; single lunches, long,
had Of all hues and colors, at prices much below the
Broadway figure. The hair kept at these placcs-if
manila, sewing silk, old rope, finely combed ana
oiled, besides q dozen or more other substances
Of HERALD readers are exposed for sale At thess
placesls OF the lowest order and poorest possible
quaty-that In fact, OF the refuse and rejected de-
scrpt0n, principally cut from the heads OF corpses
and the lowest criminals But as general thing un.
less at store OF acknowledged repute, the hair ~
rope, similar to that sold In any ordinary old junk
shop.
seventeen dollars per ounce land that for the black
and Indifferent shades Of brown to even as high as
n or oTy M aoaTs aof e asGsa e
fiaxen and auburn or red rank next in value. The
darker shades come last and are much cheaper, TN
some cases costing not much more than half as much
as the light. Naturally curling and wayy hair comes
also as high as forty dollars per ounce.
The reason assigned by hair dealers for the depre
caron in the price asked for dark hair is that at
least two-thirds OF the entire worlds market stock
The market advance in the price Of hair Of all coicrs
has literally quadrupled itself within the last six
years. The best hair merchants always sell hair cut
dead hair or that obtained from the Dead and that
from 1t ater few days or weeks severance at ut
most; therefore dead hair Is never consciously
times as much hair ia now worn at . single hair
dressinR-save in the days Of a century or 80
was w0n n n oa as ana sse
promenade Is something both curious and terrible
for the unlnitiated to contemplate.
hts trade s failing him; for, after the primary pur
chase OF the entire wig &C.. his services, owing to
requisition, as OF old, for its daily dressing.
Between three and four tons Is the almost ncred-
ible aggregate or human hair yearly appraised by
the New York Custom House for the city s alone;
100000 more added to the before given 81, 900 900
probably In the opinion OF experts represents both
city and country cash cost
Our raw human hair comes principally from Paris.
In that city there are immense warehouses entirely
skilled workmen entirely for the purpose OF drawing,
sorting collecting and packing hair OF all ages,
the hair Is exported in great leathern or canvas
sacks, in which are knoted from 100 TO 150 pounds
o. human mar 80 closely as 20 cause sne bag on
as rock. This hair is OF every conceivable shade
and variety, and IL collected by European agents
from all parts OF Europe Asia and Africa.
In this country although wig wearers, the Amcrt-
can people as well as the English have great hor-
ror OF parting with their own hair. The Germans
and French, the contrary, look upon II rather
an honor to supply the Parisan market with their
bewildering locks Most OF our hair comes in q raw
state from Paris. Much more than Is imagined,
especially since the late war; comes from the south.
ern states.
great deal is also brought packed away In the
recesses OF the peder's pack-the legitimate result
OF his tramps among the New England farmhouses
through the West This ts usually OF all the
shades OF brown and sells to the hair dealer an low
AZ i've to eight dollars per pound. Tne most beauti-
ful shades OF red and auburn hair come from ireland.
The darkest hair In market, and coarsest N WELL Ia