Lucy's Commentary:
This item is a lock of hair from Frank Jermyn. Frank is an artist who once lived across the street from me. As my sisters and I started the photography studio, he asked us to take photographs of his work. As we got to know each other, Frank and I grew much closer. One day, Frank showed up unexpectedly and told me he had to leave for Africa the following day. He was to make newspaper illustrations as a reporter. I was heartbroken knowing that my feelings for Frank were only growing, but then he asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes! Before Frank left for Africa, he gave me a lock of his hair to show me how much he cared about me and that this was a symbol of our love. The hair-lock was also the only physical part of Frank that I could have as a keepsake in case anything were to happen to him while he was away. It was so touching to my heart that I decided to tape it in my common book to keep it forever. Whenever I begin to miss Frank, I can open the book to the page with a lock of hair taped in it to recall all of our time spent together. Frank means so much to me, and this is why I felt as if this item was a significant addition to my common book. It truly is a much more intimate gift than a ring or a picture of us, and I will cherish it while he is away.
Editorial Commentary:
Romance in the Victorian Era was much different than how we express love to one another in today’s world. This item, a lock of hair, saved from someone named Lucy Lorimer, says a lot about the time that she was living. In the Victorian Era, it was common to exchange gifts with friends, family members, or loved ones to show your love towards that person. Some of these gifts included rings to show engagement, photographs of one another or together, and locks of hair. Although engagement rings and photographs are still common to this day, hair is thought of as unsanitary. Locks of hair were exchanged during that period to show love and friendship because they can be well-preserved. Many Vicotirans would twine their hair together as a symbol of friendship or love. Hair is also a very tangible keepsake that represents both the body and the life of the person it was from. (Why Victorians Loved Hair Relics) Many times locks of hair were not only exchanged as a gift after engagement, but also when one is traveling due to the possiblity of the loved one not being able to make it back. It was something that the other person could look at or hold if they were missing the loved one who was away. The gift was not only a true sign of intimacy during this time, but it also was much more affordable than other gifts. (Harmeyer) Locks of hair were not just given in a bag, but many times it was given in a piece of jewelry that made the whole item even more valuable. (Dalnavert) Lucy saved the lock of hair just for the reason that her loved one was leaving on a trip to Africa. This directly relates to her, and how she is describing herself as a woman during the Victorian Era who just got engaged.
Citations:
Harmeyer, Rachel Robertson 1986-. “The Hair as Remembrancer’: Hairwork and the Technology of Memory.” UH Repository, 1 May 2013, uh-ir.tdl.org/items/41c10f55-c503-443c-a760-e521540f0285.
Web, Dalnavert. “Date like a Victorian: Courtship and Romance in the Victorian Era.” Dalnavert Museum, Dalnavert Museum, 17 Sept. 2023, www.friendsofdalnavert.ca/blog/2021/2/12/date-like-a-victorian-courtshi….
Why Victorians Loved Hair Relics - Jstor Daily, daily.jstor.org/why-victorians-loved-hair-relics/. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.
Zdanowicz, Christina. “Abraham Lincoln’s Lock of Hair Sells for More than $81,000 at Auction.” CNN, Cable News Network, 14 Sept. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/09/14/us/abraham-lincoln-hair-auction-trnd/index.html.