Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-02-03
TRADE IN HUMAN HAIR.
It is Gathered from All QUART
ers or the World.
The Most Valuable OOlOrs and the High
est Prices Paid for ths Material

SOincS from france, Germany, Sweden
and Norway" said large importer of
human hair on Broadway. New York.
to the query of Mail and E:rDress
interviewer.
Years ago the human hair trade
was bonanza almost ia what few
dealers there were in. thc business.
Fine. luxuriant hair could be pur-
chased from the possessor for few
beads or knick-knacks. Peddlers went
about the country with gewgaws in
ducing women to part with their hair
Times have changed, and not woman
In any of the countries mentioned but
requires good round suns to sever her
flowing locks to adorn other heads in
different parts of the world"
"Well. how is the trade now?"
within the last fifteen years it has
fallen off surprisingly. Then it was
considered on the list as the third
largest import trade in America. while
now perhaps it ranks about the twen-
tieth. The reason is obvious. The
introduction of cheap h8ig from Italy
and the Chinese refined hair has affect
ed the sale of the genuine article
Now the hair that mostly comes from
Italy is either cut after death or taken
from hospital patients. it's then sent
to Paris and carried through process
which is supposed to give it tone and
vitality, but graveyard hair can never
equal the excellent quality of the raw
material taken from flesh and blood
scalp"
How is tbs hair prepared for mar
ket after it is first cut from the head?'
"All hair obtained in Sweden, Nor
way, Italy and sometimes Germany
(although the latter country often pre-
pares for market hair obtained there),
is sent to Paris as raw material.
There it undergoes the refining pro-
cess. 1t is cleaned, washed, and dried,
and then drawn through hot sand; so
the article is as pure as can be. Now
when the raw material is sent here it
is simply washed in soda, and is ready
for sale"
"What does the hair cost, obtained
from the original wearer?'+
lit depends on the lengtA and color.
All the way from 81 to SO is the price
paid for the raw material. We call it
raw until it is cleaned and purified.
Thirty-two inch hair retaiIs here from
% "a per ounce, being graded by the
shades of color desired. Somo hair
easily sells for SO and $loe per pound,
if thirty-two or thirty inches long"
what color in hair lis highest
priced?"
''Pure white hair is more sought
after now than any color. aud is worth
its weight in gold. Indeed, it is more
valuable than gold 1t seAa at $40 and
$3.50 per ounce, and is extremely hard
to get at that price. The reason of
this is that pure white HAIR can rarely
ever be found Nearly al white hair
turns to yellowish tinge from ex-
posture to the sun and weather. Ordi-
narily white hair has thres different
shades. beginning at the the roots, and
varying little in the middle and the
end. Hence the great difficulty expe-
rienced in getting pure white hair. l
don't mean gray hair. Gray with us
is mixed. Then, when white hair is
colored you can tel it easily"
"What colors come after white in
popularity?'
1.-The light or pale colors are always
more in demand than dark shades.
Light blonde. not reddish. and golden
hair are the favorites after white. In
Sweden light hair is mostly obtained,
and is more expensive than in any
other country. France furnishes dark
and medium shades; Germany medium.
and Italy generally dark. But of
course all these countries furnish all
colors. but those just mentioned pre-
dominate
evil the prepared hunan hair last