new thread
Hi Guys! :-)
For a number of years I have had a hobby of making colorizations of vintage historical 1800's photos. Something has suddenly struck me as perhaps true. Most men seem to have had shoulder length hair back then and not really much longer. (ie: Mid Back.) Also, quite a few DID indeed have short-longish hair which could almost pass for styles of today.
The photo above is of the composer Franz Liszt (with a student) taken in 1886. Please note the hair lengths. Actually, whoever the younger man was, could with little modification had turned all into a Fauxhawk!
My theory is that todays extreme long hair man and the ability to have such is in a majority of cases due to products that we have to protect the hair.......conditioner being number one. Todays long haired man in short, has the best, most healthy and fabulous looking long hair since the beginning of time! (Please remember, all is a theory.......but I almost think I may be right.........for once!) LOL :-)
Hope you guys have all been well and are doing great with your long hair journeys.
All the best-
Justin~
Your theory seems, to me, a sound one (pun intended, considering your choice of photos). Have you also noticed a correlation between mens' ages and the length of their hair in vintage photos (i.e., "men" tended to have longer hair than "boys")? I find it interesting (and disheartening) that the convention of modern society is for adult males to try their damndest to look like children.
Thanks for sharing the thoughts and images, my friend!
--Val
Hey Val
Yes! I HAVE noticed that correlation regarding ages, and so true about the men of today. Don't know why I never really gave that much thought to this before. And you are so right about the men of today seeming to look more like children when it comes to length. My father who was born in 1912 had very long hair until the age of 5 when it was cut for the 1st time. (Apparently a common practice back then.)
I had You-Tubed a vid of Composers in Color (1849-1950) about 5 months ago and am getting ready to assemble another.........and to think, it took me till now to really take note!
So, more "in" hairstyles of the day for the great classical composers. Looks as if by 1910 things has become quite short as in the photo of Claude Debussy. Schoenburg (last photo from 1950) I'll have to dismiss as he was quite bald by then.......but not the others.
Hope you and your family have a nice weekend Val.
Justin~
Val, if you go to littlebird longhair.com he has a link that talks about the phycological aspect of controlling the population through how long guys can have hair.And there was a section somewhere in there that brought up your point about makeiing men look like children by cutting there hair and scraping the hair off there faces daily.
Keep in mind that natural "conditioners" did exist and were used by members of various societies, and that the men (and women) of those societies were probably more likely to have very long hair. Examples include a number of American Indian peoples (who used rendered animal fat, i.e., bear grease, etc., in their hair), and Mediterranean populations (olive oil).
--Val
Yes, the Native Americans were of such a different culture and I had heard of some of the things you mention above. Their hair is a bit similar in texture to the Asians I rather think.
Justin~
It makes sense that American Indians and Asians have similar hair-types, considering that the Bering land bridge by which humans first crossed to the North American continent was connected, on the other end, to what is now Asia. Another characteristic shared by indigenous Americans and Asians is a feature called sinodonty (literally, "Chinese teeth"). Their incisors, viewed from the side, have a small, backwards-angled ridge along the bottom edge (as if they were curled under, so to speak). This is thought to be an adaptation that evolved for the purpose of cracking the tough hulls of nuts and seeds.
--Val
I have been looking at old photos of native Americans, and there hair appeared to be really excellent condition. james
You will see something similar with facial hair and the military, In earlier times, for instance the U.S. cavalry in the 1800s, the higher rank you achieved the greater the amount of facial hair, Starting with, of course, "teen Staches' for raw recruits, moving up to and through fuller moustaches then perhaps the "soul patch" and then a full Goatee, then beards, close cropped to full and flowing, Head hair was and could beall over themap. form close cropped to long enough to sport a tail. Check out old cavalry photos and see this for yourself.
Thank you "Jason11111." Now to think of it, this is just what we see in the old Cival War photos and others.
Justin~
Hi Jsutin,
First of all, what an outstanding job you have done colourizing this photo. Also, I thoroughly enjoyed your post, and you have an excellent theory as to why we are able to grow much longer hair these days.(at least, those of us who have longer terminal lengths)
In fact, I wonder whem conditioner was actually invented, and even shampoos for that matter. My thoughts are that people probably used soap to wash their hair back then, and that could have been very harsh on hair.
Take care,
David
Hey David
I wonder as well about conditioners etc. Don't really remember these available when I was young or even a teen. (Still shampoo left-over from the 50's mostly.) And, I DO remember using "Ivory Soap!" :-0
Bet you are correct however about using ordinary soap in many a case. Hmmmmm, wonder what Robert E. Lee was using? LOL :-) The statement made below by Jason1111 I think quite accurate.
All the best-
Justin~
Hey Justin,
Interesting theory on long haired men of yesteryear.Great picture too as an example of what long hair styles were worn in the day.I'd imagine back in those days it would be very difficult growing hair down ones back and even to waist.I'm sure its possible in some cultures where longhair was more than just vanity.However with lack of hair care products like we have today by the time such long lengths could be reached the oldest hair towards the ends was probably ragged.Just an assumption on my part.Anyway thanks for the interesting thread of "Hair History" my friend.Cheers
Mark
Hey Mark! :-)
Yes, the way they did things must have made it impossible to grow hair very long even if they wanted to. Of course Val pointed out some great things when it comes to the Native Americans as well as Asian cultures. The "Anglos" seemed to have drifted from the naturals (like the Native Americans used) and thus, ended up starting quite a haircutting fad. :-( or, should it be :-) or else....... :-0!
Hmmmmmm, wonder what Capt. Smith was using while crossing the Atlantic on that cold chilly evening in 1912?
All the best Mark
Justin~
Through trial and error Justin learned and then mastered
the art/science(?)of transforming a B &W photo-and even more difficult-old sepia photos, and then brought them to life.
Nobody I know can do it better.
Thank you for making historical figures seem so alive!
Hi Luckskind! :-)
So glad to be on the computor just as your posting came on. I seldom come to the MLHH anymore. (Retired you know.........or more like retarded!) LOL
My email address was changed quite a while ago and with it went alot of things. Also, I lost your number like a STOOGE! :-0
Perhaps you can email me?
Hope you have been well and are having a great weekend.
All the best-
Justin~
ps: Photo of Maurice Ravel circa 1931. (Newer B+W photos are more convincing. OMG...........would you believe I drag these colorations through something like 7 programs now? But better niow than 4 years ago I think.)
It's been awhile. Finally crawling out of The Cave and
maybe this time the sun will stay out.
I watch your YouTube videos often. "Prelude from the Heavens"
is really enjoyable-and quite mesmerizing!
You are quite the entertainer (where did that come from?)
I am writing something for the MLHH. I will be using a number
of examples to demonstrate how the length of a manÂ’s hair has virtually
NOTHING to do with whether or not he is actually a “Longhair.”
Everyone will be asked to participate; ALL opinions will be appreciated
and respected.
Later, my Friend
...Justin, I missed parts of your message.
Your email address has changed? I am in the process of switching
my email addresses to: xxxxxx@verizon.net but I also have my old addresses as well. I dare not post any of them here.
Suggestions?
PS: I don't seem to be a "member" here anymore. Profile + pic must have been
swept into the dustbin during one of the regular ;house cleanings' around here.
ladworth
PS: 7 programs? My God!
Hey Luckskind
You can email me using the board. That should work for sure. :-)
Take care-
Justin~
Tried to email you using by I just keep getting the message below:
"MEN'S LONG HAIR HYPERBOARD E-MAIL ERROR"
'Use the "back" feature on your browser and check
your e-mail address. It is not recognized by the system.
(This feature is reserved for regular users of the system.)
Please correct your e-mail address if it contains
an error and submit your message again.'
Guess I am not considered to be a "regular user" anymore. Must have been away for one too many eons!
Suggestions?
Yes, it changed many many months ago thanks to Verizon who flipped it into Frontier which I do not think is so great.
Best thing I can think of is to send me a letter. (Hope you still have the address.) Hope you are having a nice day Luckskind. :-)
Justin~
Yikes............should have thought of this one. You can email me through the You Tube email system. Then I would get it for sure! :-)
"Musique3579"
Why didn't I think of that?
All great videos by the way.
Very cool image!
That is an interesting theory you have proposed. I imagine not too many people wanted to grow longer hair because it would be so "raggedy" without effective methods to keep it healthy and untangled....although I'm sure with some water and some light oil they could've achieved lengths far past shoulder length.
I'm also curious about the boys with shorter hair/men with longer hair that Validus brought up. For the time I think it would make sense that that was the way of life.
Thank you and very much appreciated. Whew, those very old ones are quite the challenge!
I almost bet for the youngers that hair was kept shorter because of Lice, though "usually" only Women are prone to being attacked.
All the best-
Justin~
ps: Portraits are one thing, but trying to do a street in a busy city or in this case my attempt at the Titanic leaving Belfast Ireland is quite difficult to pull-off, at least for myself.
Ah lice! I remember the time I got it as a child-that itch is unbearable! I didn't think of that, thanks.
I can only imagine the time you invest into such a hobby. It is very cool and I always enjoy looking at someone's hard work.
Yes!
Hey John
Hope all is well with you. Glad you think my "theory" might be a bit valid. Bet you are glad to be a photographer of today. Whew. Back then nobody seemed to smile.......but in the early days had to sit still before the camera was re-capped and then the wet-plate developed. (Exposure time kinda guessed at I think.)
All the best-
Justin~