Presented by Elizabeth DeWolfe. In 19th-century Maine, death was ever present. To grapple with loss, Victorian-era Mainers turned to art and craft to mourn and remember their loved ones. Their material of choice was human hair. Mary Baker made a good living crafting flowers, wreaths, and jewelry from human hair. Her Portland home-based business tapped into a national craze for Victorian hair jewelry, which not only memorialized the dead but also connected the living. From snips of a loved one’s hair in a locket, to braided hair friendship rings exchanged between schoolgirls, to a large-scale wreath of flowers containing the hair of an entire family, Mainers embraced hair art as a symbol of mourning the dead and celebrating the living.
EVENT DETAILS
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Doors Open: 2:15 PM
Event Starts: 3:00 PM
Address: Historical Museum, 505 Main Street, Springvale, ME
The museum is handicapped accessible.
FREE ADMISSION
Sign up at mourning-maines-dead-victorian-hair-jewelry-and-crafts.eventbrite.com
Admittance to this event is FREE to the public, although donations are always welcomed. Signing up in advance is not required but does help us prepare for the number of attendees. For questions, please call 207-490-1028 or email info@sanfordhistory.org.
This lecture is generously supported and sponsored by: Maine Humanities Council, and Harry A. Mapes Charitable Trust.