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These bracelets were made in the mid-1800s using two popular techniques
of the time: fancy hairwork, a method of braiding and twisting
human hair for use in decoration, and daguerreotyping, an early
form of photography. Created as gifts from a father to his two
daughters and made from a braided band of human hair with a locket
containing a daguerreotype portrait, these bracelets served as
physical reminders of the family's treasured memories.
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Close-up of daguerreotype
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Close-up of closed locket |
Hairwork was first developed in Sweden during the
1800s, but over the course of the century the technique gained
popularity and spread throughout the world. Particularly popular
in the United States and in England, where Queen Victoria frequently
gave and received hair tokens, hairwork jewelry was made to commemorate
happy circumstances, such as engagement or friendship, and as mourning
jewelry. It was popular among people of all classes, and pieces
could be bought from jewelers or made at home using instructions
printed in magazines.
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| While hairwork jewelry preserved a physical part of
a loved one, daguerreotypes provided a way to create and preserve
a photographic likeness of an individual. Invented in 1839, daguerreotypes
are one of the earliest forms of photography and use a chemical process
to create a photographic image on a highly polished sheet of metal.
Unlike modern photography, deguerreotyping does not use film or produce
negatives, so the images are unique and cannot be reproduced. Creating
a daguerreotype was a slow process, and the subject of the portrait
had to sit still for several minutes while the metal plate was exposed
to light in a large box camera. |
Close-up of reverse side of
locket |
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Learn More: Hairwork Bracelets with Lockets 1927.07.0003A-B
Most of the artifacts in Artifacts of the Month articles are chosen to allow website visitors to explore artifacts that are not on display in the Museum's galleries. Try searching the database or exploring the Virtual Tour to find artifacts on display.
 
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