Hair Wreath

This hair wreath was made by Millie Hunt in 1900. Hair wreaths were a Victorian tradition started by Queen Victoria after the death of her husband in 1860. In Victorian times, hair was collected from the deceased as a memento to comfort the survivor. When a family member died their hair would be woven into a pretty shape, usually a flower, and placed in the center of the wreath and the previous lock was moved to the outside. The horse shoe shape with an open part in the wreath symbolized their ascent into heaven. This tradition pretty much died out after WWI.