The History of collecting hair

The history of hair collecting has enabled Historians to prove many things... perhaps the hobby isn't as strange as you may think

Hair collecting took hold during the Victorian era, when notables were asked by their admirers for locks rather than their signatures.

The New York Times

Approach your favourite celebrity and they wouldn'’t give you an autograph... if you were lucky they would cut you a lock of hair. 

Harry Rubenstein, a curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History says "“more so than an autograph, it was a sign of affection".

Historians have also used hair from collectors to determine that Thomas Jefferson fathered a child with one of his slaves, and that Beethoven suffered from lead poisoning.

In recent years collecting hair has again become popular again as collectors appreciate that a strand of hair is the most personal item that can be added to a collection of historical memorabilia.

Stamp collectors are beginning to include locks of Queen Victoria, George V, and Edward VIII hair in their collections.

Autograph collectors are adding hair to their collections.

Due to this increased demand famous hair has become one of the hottest areas in worldwide auctions:

• Babe Ruth's hair sold for $38,000
• John Lennon's hair sold for $48,000
• Lord Nelson's hair sold for £44,000
• Elvis Presley's hair sold for $115,000
• Che Guevara's hair sold for $119,500
• A single Elvis hair sold for £1,055 at a British auction in 2009 

So, perhaps it's not an area of collecting that's so strange after all?

We have a number of famous hairs available for sale. All with great provenance. From Justin Bieber to Marilyn Monroe, and George Washington to John F Kennedy.

Each hair is presented on a beautiful display sheet, ready for framing.

View famous hairs for sale

www.paulfrasercollectibles.com