M. Alphonse Bouchard, writing on the subject in The Hairdressers’ Chronicle, in the year 1873, and at a time when hair was scarce in consequence of the then prevailing fashion, says:—
“The hair that has fallen off is carefully collected by men who make this work their special business. They despise that which their brethren of the rag eagerly search for. Bones, rags of every description, fragments of crystal, broken glass, old iron, old newspapers, all these are neglected and despised by these specials. See them bent over a pile of rubbish, which often contains little else but cabbage refuse and a few broken corks. They bend over it and kneel over it as intently as if they were looking for the philosopher’s stone, when suddenly we see them draw from the midst the little balls of hair which nearly every woman makes of the hair-combings....
“But let us follow M. Denizet, the author of a remarkable work on ‘Waste Hair,’ in these developments,” continues M. Bouchard. “This writer tells us that the plaits or small chignons, and which are consequently cheap, weigh from 60 to 80 grammes, and that in every one of them there is contained hair from more than two hundred persons. The following is their origin and manufacture. In the issues of the toilet of these two hundred women of all ages and stations, the hair of the middle-class woman is first observed. These women are in the habit of rolling the combings over their fingers, then putting them into a small piece of paper, so that they do not fly away, and this hair is found in the sweepings of the house.... In the state in which the hair leaves the bag of the collector it seems good for nothing. People in general would not like to touch it, and yet of this refuse the cheap postiches are made which adorn the heads of persons who will not pay the price of hair cut off from the head.”
In speaking of the several operations which this hair has to go through, my esteemed Parisian correspondent quotes M. Denizet almost verbatim.
“The waste, seemingly without value, is sold at six francs a kilogramme to wholesale dealers, who sell it again, just as it was purchased, at nine francs, to small manufacturers, who work it, and then it is sold to certain hair-merchants, who in their turn send it to small hairdressers, both at home and abroad. The work of the small manufacturer consists in five principal operations, which are:—1. The Cleansing.—The hair is rolled and twisted about in sawdust to free it from dirt, dust, and grease. It is then opened by hand. 2. The Combing.—The hair having been well disentangled, stretched, cleaned, and freed from grease, by means of black soap or certain chemical substances, is dried, and then combed in large cards with iron points, the same as are used for mattress-wool; this operation is done very carefully, to prevent the hair from being broken. 3. Turning.[[1]]—Starting upon the principle that the hair is a conical tube, which tapers off from the root to the point, a piece of hair of the thickness of a finger is rolled forwards and backwards between the hands. The piece elongates, the hair going in different directions, according as the root or point is situated. They are then easily separated, and put once again root to root and point to point, and this is the reason why it is called ‘turned hair.’ 4. Classing.—There are only three lengths made of this hair, that which is used for plaits, for chignons of all kinds, and for men’s wigs. The refuse from these four operations is about half of the whole quantity in weight, and is good for nothing. 5. Picking the Colour.—This work requires the most patience, and is generally performed by women. It consists in dividing the hair according to colours. As there are seven principal colours and three lengths, each packet is divided into twenty-one portions. The shades are white, grey, black, brown, chestnut, blonde, and red. The lengths vary from twenty centimetres to seventy centimetres. Having passed through these different operations, the hair is ready for use in postiches.”
From about this time, then, “root and point” hair, “turned” hair, and so forth came into requisition, and English “combings” followed as a matter of course. Nowadays ladies save the “waste” hair which has been removed by the action of comb and brush, and when the mass has assumed somewhat large proportions it is taken to a hairdresser’s to be made up, and emanates therefrom in the shape of a plait, twist, &c. To show that I am not alone in regarding the use of this inferior hair with aversion, I will quote the following from the American Hairdresser and Perfumer:—
“This fact alone, namely, the general and almost universal use of the filthy and unwieldy substitutes for first quality cut hair, known as ‘Italian,’ ‘refined China,’ ‘unrefined China,’ ‘Georgia’ (refined China under another name), and all the grades of ‘second’ and lower qualities, all this has done more towards disgusting our better class of people (those who have the means at command) with wearing false hair than any prevailing style or notion could have done.”
There is much truth in this, and I commend the further consideration of the subject to the serious attention of all who desire to advance and benefit the trade.
Having given a description of hair, and spoken disapprovingly of the commoner sorts, I purpose considering the better qualities before dealing with more practical details. If the maker of an article wishes his work to be of a superior description he must necessarily confine himself to the use of good materials, and the fine quality of the hair used is of the greatest importance. I will observe that hair should always be cut from the head, for then it is in good condition and very different to the “dead” hair which is thrown off daily by most people, and is now well known under the common appellation of “combings.” Hair of the best description is obtained from France and Italy, whence come sundry shades of black and brown. The first-named country, as well as Germany and Sweden, supplies the market with brown, light, flaxen, and red hair, while grey pieces are to be found in most parcels, consequently its source may be described as universal. There are regular “hair-harvests,” and agents or collectors travel from place to place at certain times, for the purpose of obtaining the hair of peasant-girls in exchange for money, trinkets, or other articles of personal adornment. Mr. Francis Trollope, in his “Summer in Brittany,” gives an amusing as well as interesting account of what he observed at a fair in Collenée, and its relation here will be appropriate. He says:—“What surprised me more than all, by the singularity and novelty of the thing, were the operations of the dealers in hair. In various parts of the motley crowd there were three or four purchasers of this commodity, who travel the country for the purpose of attending the fairs and buying the tresses of the peasant-girls. They have particularly fine hair, and frequently in the greatest abundance. I should have thought that female vanity would have effectually prevented such a traffic as this being carried to any extent; but there seemed to be no difficulty in finding beautiful heads of hair perfectly willing to sell. We saw several girls sheared, one after the other, like sheep, and as many more standing ready for the shears, with their caps in their hands, and their long hair combed out and hanging down to their waists. Some of the operators were men, and some women. By the side of the dealer was placed a large basket, into which every successive crop of hair, tied up into a wisp, was thrown. No doubt the reason of their indifference to their tresses on the part of the fair Bretonnes is to be found in the invariable mode which covers every head, from childhood upwards, with close caps, which entirely prevent any part of the hair from being seen, and, of course, as totally conceal the want of it. The money given for the hair is about twenty sous, or else a gaudy cotton handkerchief; they net immense profits by their trips through the country.” This hair is, as I am informed, the finest and most silken black hair that can be procured.
Preparing hair requires careful manipulation, for unless it be properly cleaned and drawn off into the required lengths, the particular work in hand stands a chance of being spoiled. Only fancy making a silk or skin parting with hair that has been imperfectly cleaned; the result can easily be imagined; or a sensitive lady’s surprise and disgust should she discover a “nit” upon her torsade or plait.