Category: Fashion

Queen Victoria Was Too Busy to Pose, So the Painter Used a Dressmaker’s Dummy Painting a queen sounds glamorous, but for the artist, it could…

In 1923, Atlantic City’s beaches were watched by more than lifeguards. Beach censors patrolled the sand, enforcing rules of modesty and proper conduct, right down…

At the turn of the twentieth century, fashion had already taken a heavy toll on the natural world. Birds had been slaughtered for their feathers,…

Curling irons have long been a staple of beauty routines, but in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they sometimes played roles far beyond…

George Palmer, a farmer from Sullivan County, filed a $20,000 lawsuit  in 1907 against a New York barber after his 20-year-old beard was mistakenly shaved…

Fashion in the 1920s in the U.S. was characterized by significant changes as it moved away from the restrictive fashions of previous decades and embraced…

John Melton, a farmer from Carrollton, Mo., crafted his own summer suits using corn husks. In 1925, it was reported that: “The high cost of…

When it comes to quirky historical taxation, few measures are as peculiar as the beard tax. Though not common, a few bold rulers saw fit…

Wearing birdcages, especially small ones as accessories, was a unique and curious fashion trend in the early 20th century. This quirky fashion statement reflected the…

Hatpins were more than long pins used to hold hats in place. Women of the past used them as weapons when confronted by burglars or…