The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-05-31
THE WIG AND IT'S MAKER.
The Manner in Winch Bald-Headed Men
andsWomen Conceal the Deficiency
and Defy Detection.
St. Louis G1ote-.Deh,ol;erdt.

obe-D Democrat.
who would appear on.the street in
.estage wig would become an object
Of interest and attention, even from
Che -gamins and bodtblacks. The wig
must defy detection, the toupee must
match, the switch or bang must be Of
the exact shade, otherwise the wearer
will become by-word among their ac-
quaintance, for the next worst thing
to being bald is to have people find
out that your hair belongs to you only
in the sense Of having been bought
and paid for with your own money.
But the wig-maker is equal to the
emergency, and with dream Of ca
pillary art surmounting his cranlum,
the bald man may defy alike criticism
and flies. for no one can tell that the
hair he is wearing is not Of his own
cultivation. A st. Louis gentleman,
who for many years has stood at the
head of his profession, was recently
induced to divulge the intricacies Of
his calling for the benefit of the pub
lie, and among the revelations which
he made was one Of great interest con-
cernine the manufacture of wigs. The
first step when a customer desires to
be fitted is to make exceeding accurate
measurements Of the dimensions Of
1.-THE head. These must be mathemati-
cally exact, for variation Of 3
sixteenth part Of an inch may result
in making the wig mere cap, with
/; scarcely pretense Of fit. The
| skulls Of people are no more alike than
their faces; FOR here and there are
! often found bumbs and protuberances
wkich must be taken into account or
the wig will rot ft. Having made
this measurement aud taken mental
note Of every unusual conformation
| Of the skull, the vig-maker begins on
the framework BY laying a foundation
| Of French :galoon, kind of silk ribbon
goods, made in Paris specially for the
Wig trade. II order TO secur1 the
proper clasp Of the wig upon the head
a section Of silver wire elastic is In
serted into the back, and eleven watch
springs, their points ground to blunt
ness and covered with kid, are placed
in different parts IF the framework.
When this is finished it is covered
With . very strong. but apparently
delicate, piece Of goods, and the body
of the wig is complete.
The next step is the hair covering,
the most tedious part Of Incorporation.
Two or three processes are employed
in this operation, that most in favor,
knotting the hair into the goods with
a needle, closely resembling a crochet
needle. This part Of the work is usu-
ally performed By girls, who patiently
sit day after day adding hair after
/ hair, little by little, until finally the
frame work is completely covered.
The most delicate points about the
wig are the parting Of the hair and the
crown, which must be made to simu-
late nature or the arti6ciality Of the
head piec- will be Instantly detected
I.by the. most casual observer. The
apart' Of the hair is given natural
appearance by network Of very fine
white natural hair, which at this point
on the head takes the place Of the
framework and extends back to the
crown. The latter is marvel Of art,
for to secure natural effect the white
hair and that which is worked in with
it are given no less than five different
directions or pointings, thus produc-
ing a perfect imitation Of the tiny
semi-bald spot which terminates the
parting of the hair at the crown.
{. Through the mess work Of white hairs
the skin Of the scalp can be seen, and
the illusionis perfect.