Jana Last has an intimate knowledge of her ancestor Eunice. Born in Ohio and living in Iowa and eventually California, at 19 she taught common school – likely until marrying in 1876! You can read more about Eunice on Jana’s Genealogy and Family History Blog.
Eunice immediately caught my eye with her beautiful curls; there are many telltale tells to identify someone from such a simple cluster of coils.
Eunice had an eye for fashion and I used Pixlr.com to create a collage of her photo, before zooming in closer for more detailed views.
Top right: Eunice has very fine, curled hair that frames her face beautifully, with a thin ribbon accentuating its style.
Middle: That long coil is captivating – is it real hair or just part of her piece? Hair pieces (braids, bangs and long curls) were available to women of all economic situations and came in various lengths and colors; even those who couldn’t afford human hair pieces could purchase horse or yak hair substitutes as substitutes.
Eunice knows all about the trendy hair fashions of her day; from the late 1860s through the 1870s, one long curl draped over one shoulder was quite fashionable for young women.
Bottom: Although her hair may be trendy, her clothing is more conventional and befitting of a schoolteacher. Narrow round collars adorned with pins first became popular during the Civil War era and during this photograph’s taking it could date as late as late 1860s or early 1870s; by 1870 it had evolved into stand-up collars featuring open necks and ruffled edges that added another flair of modernity.
Carl Mautz published Biographies of Western Photographers by Carl Mautz Publishing (1997) indicates that Kracaw’s Fine Art Gallery operated in Washington, Iowa between 1868-1875.
Learn about old photo clues of curls of various kinds as well as bangs, beards and buns in my newly revised and expanded all color-edition of Hairstyles 1840-1900 currently on sale!
