Mrs. Louisa C. Hughes, Virden, Illinois 
Hair Wreath, 1873 - 1874. 
hair, wood, glass 48 by 41 inches
Illinois State Museum collection
Gift of Mrs. Velma Jesse Hall and three other surviving grandchildren of the maker, Aurora, Colorado (704292.1972.44)

What keepsakes, remembrances, or souvenirs do young people keep today of the friends or loved ones? 

What other works of art have you seen that suggest to you the idea of remembrance? 

People kept locks of hair in lockets and scrapbooks to remember loved ones. Some people made hair wreaths as a symbol of mourning someone who died. Other hairwork wreaths, like this one, were a common room decoration in the late nineteenth century. Hair wreaths were made by braiding hair and wrapping hair around wire shapes. Mrs. Hughes collected hair from seventy-one of her friends, relatives, and fellow townspeople to create this wreath. The name of each donor is on a label attached to his or her hair.