When I first started this blog over two years ago, I mentioned Leila’s Hair Museum in Missouri. Holy shit! Has it been that long? Anyway, Leila’s proclaims to be the only hair museum in the world (aka America) but that’s not necessarily true. The Bangsbo Museum in Denmark has Europe’s largest collection of human hair jewelry. Sounds weird, but it was kind of a big thing back in the day. All the kids were wearing it. During the Napoleonic wars, gold and silver weren’t readily available. So the country women of Scandinavia, who were already pretty poor before the war, started making brooches and rings out of their customer’s hair and the name of his or her loved one wrapped around it. Eventually these jewelers were called “hårkullor” or hair ladies. Forget the hair’s old age, and admire the love and creativity on display, which includes wreaths, plaques, mittens, watch chains (usually made for men out of their wives’ hair) as well as bracelets, necklaces and rings (worn by women made from their husband’s clipped locks). So don’t get creeped out the next time someone asks you for a piece of hair. They’re not some facebook stalker. It’s probably just a time traveler from the 19th century wanting to show his or her love.
Bangsbo Museum in Denmark
