Fair use notice.
This website may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorised by the copyright owner.
We are making such material and images are available in our efforts to advance the understanding of the “Anglo Zulu War of 1879. For educational & recreational purposes.
We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material, as provided for in UK copyright law. The information is purely for educational and research purposes only. No profit is made from any part of this website.
If you hold the copyright on any material on the site, or material refers to you, and you would like it to be removed, please let us know and we will work with you to reach a resolution.
Posts : 2558 Join date : 2009-04-06 Age : 58 Location : UK
Subject: Does anyone know! Sat Mar 09, 2013 10:09 pm
I have often wonder what the Millitary men in the Victorian era used on their hair!! You will notice in nearly all of the photo's of these men thier hair as be gelled with something. It's not Brillcreame that wasn't about until the 1920s. Any ideas?
tasker224
Posts : 2102 Join date : 2010-07-30 Age : 54 Location : North London
Subject: Re: Does anyone know! Sat Mar 09, 2013 11:59 pm
Really? Can't say I've noticed. Can you point to an example?
Subject: Does anyone know! Sun Mar 10, 2013 1:49 am
Hi John.
Yes, it used to be Macassar oil, but the problem was that if they rested their head against the back of the seat it left an oily stain on the fabric, so the answer was to use a piece of cloth to cover the headrest part of the seat, hence the name antimacassar.
Hope this helps.
John
Posts : 2558 Join date : 2009-04-06 Age : 58 Location : UK
Subject: Re: Does anyone know! Sun Mar 10, 2013 9:24 am
Martin, thank you ver much. I wonder if it had a odour...
littlehand
Posts : 7077 Join date : 2009-04-24 Age : 52 Location : Down South.
Subject: Re: Does anyone know! Sun Mar 10, 2013 11:16 am
Posts : 552 Join date : 2009-10-14 Location : Loughborough
Subject: Re: Does anyone know! Sun Mar 10, 2013 11:45 am
Rowlands had been around since the mid 1870's. Two popular hair treatments was Bears grease, like the sold by James Atkinson, Prices, Whittaker & Grossmith to name but a few and various pomades for the hair and moustches, such as Knowles "essauline" or Pomade D'sau [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Usually sold in ceramic containers with trasnfer printed lids,
Thirty years of digging up victorian dumps, these items are very collectible, I have a Atkinsons Bears grease in my own collection, plus various bear grease lids from F & R Pratt of fenton. the bear the cock & Lion (crimean war connections, "All but trapped", "alas poor bruin" and "Hunting bears" [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Regs
tasker224
Posts : 2102 Join date : 2010-07-30 Age : 54 Location : North London
Subject: Re: Does anyone know! Sun Mar 10, 2013 12:22 pm
Fascinating stuff
littlehand
Posts : 7077 Join date : 2009-04-24 Age : 52 Location : Down South.
Subject: Re: Does anyone know! Sun Mar 10, 2013 6:27 pm
With regards to it's odour!
"Macassar oil from Schleichera trijuga a buttery-yellow oil smelling of almonds." If you worked in Bomb disposal, you wouldn't want to be wearing Macassar oil hair gel!!!