[Taking A Close Look At...]
[CULTURES]

Ladies' and Gentlemen's Grooming



"J.D. COPELAND, Our Popular Druggist, besides his usual stock of drugs, displays some very pretty Nic-nacs, Perfumery...Brushes, Pipes, Combs, Looking-glasses and a host of other useful articles too numerous to mention. The store is well worthy of a visit." [Aurora , 20 December 1882]

"It is a popular belief with mothers that washing young children daily in cold water makes them hardy. This is a grave mistake; the feeble circulation of a child requires the aid and assistance of warmth, warm water and warm clothing." [ Casket, 4 November 1858]


"When we were finished, we took the enamelled wash basin out doors and washed our hands and faces with sweet-smelling lathery Castile soap and hot water from the big black kettle that steamed all day on the kitchen stove." [R.A. MacLean ed., Recollections, 1977, pp 122-123]






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Item:IVORINE DRESSER SET
Date: c. 1910
Dimensions:glove stretcher 17 cm, boot hook 18.5 cm, nail buffer 10.5 cm and makeup pot lid 4.5 cm in diameter

Comments: This dresser set, which was originally stored in a box of stiff cardboard-like material lined with fabric, includes two small, round plastic containers with lids, a nail buffer, a shoe horn, a large tweezer-like object which is a glove stretcher and a long hook that resembles a dentist's tool, which is actually a button hook. Everything except for the pots and the nail buffer is made of ivorine or xylonite, a early form of plastic which served as a cheap substitute for ivory. The nail buffer is slightly pink in colour with a kid leather bottom and a handle on the top. This set is simple, plain and was an inexpensive version of more elaborate, costly Ladies' toilet sets.

In the 19th century a basic dresser set included a comb, hairbrush, hand mirror, often supplemented by a wide array of additional items such as a hat brush, clothes brush, puff box, hairpin box, pin tray, pin cushions, jewel box, powder and cream jars, manicure tools, button hooks, fan boxes, glove boxes, shoe horns, glove stretchers and glove powder flasks. Often these were elaborately designed in silver, cut-glass and tortoiseshell and displayed in rosewood dressing cases with lift-out trays, velvet-lined compartments, and gilded and tooled morocco embellishments.

Such accoutrements testify to the body-beautiful image of the Victorian age. During this period, women used whitewashes and powder to keep their skin looking pale. Fair skin was "a mark of beauty", a status symbol for the middle- and upper-class women who did not have to toil outdoors. According to one historian, "Powder and rouge were wickedly French and belonged to the arsenal of the fading beauty, the outrageous actress and the lady of doubtful reputation." The proper Victorian maiden discreetly wore rouge which could be bought or manufactured at home from beet juice or red dye and lemon juice, and stored in little jars like the ones in the dresser set. In 1901, the T. Eaton Catalogue advertised several brands of face makeup including Saunders' white face powder for 10 cents per package, T. Eaton Company's white, pink or cream moss rose complexion powder for 10 cents a box, or "Bloom of Canada", a semi-transparent face powder for 25 cents.

Wendy Sangster




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Item:GRIFFON CARBO MAGNETIC RAZOR CASE
Date:c. 1900
Dimensions:1.4 cm high, 16.75 cm long, 4 cm wide

Comments: This razor case is constructed of hard cardboard. It separates when pulled on each end. On one side are the words "Carbo Magnetic" and a picture of the mythical griffon, while on the other side are the words "Griffon xx". On this side are also the words "D.G. Kirk Antigonish, N.S." etched in the cardboard. On the tab of one half of the case is a faded inscription extolling the virtues of the Griffon razor. All that can be deciphered are the words: "This razor is very...tempered and ground extremely thin and...carefully as..." The case provides enough clues to determine its age. Although the Griffon Cutlery Company received its trademark in 1880, the D.G. Kirk Store did not open until 1890. The Kirk store was situated on the corner of Main and Church Street in Antigonish and was originally built by Adam Kirk whose son Duncan Grant (D.G.) Kirk bought the building in addition to his father's hardware and clothing businesses around 1890. He also owned a "gentleman's furnishing business" in North Sydney, Cape Breton as well as the Palace Clothing Store in Antigonish. This case indicates that Kirk was an adept businessman, fully aware of the advertising techniques and consumer revolution of his day.

Jerrold Cameron




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Item:H. BOKER & COMPANY 'KING CUTTER' STRAIGHT RAZOR
Date:c. 1890-1900
Dimensions: 14 cm steel razor and plastic handle. 7.5cm blade and 1.5 cm wide blade

Comments: This straight razor dates from the late 19th century. It has a black plastic handle, a rather plain design for a time when handles were made of tortoiseshell, fine wood, horn, mother-of-pearl or flower-decorated plastic. The metal blade is incised with the H. Boker and Company logo and tree insignia. H. Boker & Company was established in 1837 by Herman Boeker in New York City who adapted his name for American pronunciation. Shortly thereafter, brother Robert Boeker took the line to Canada and later to Mexico. In 1869 the Company adopted its chestnut tree logo to make their products easily identifiable in a rapidly expanding international market. At the beginning of the 20th century, the North American operations changed the logo to "Boker USA", so this razor must have been manufactured sometime between 1869 and 1900.

The straight razor first appeared in Western Europe around 1600. However, it was not until the 18th and 19th centuries that a smooth face became the norm. It was then that the straight razor reached its greatest refinement. The Sheffield straight steel razor (named because it was produced in Sheffield, England) appeared at the beginning of the 18th century. An elegant and refined instrument, the razor opened up the door for the Romantic period, during which wigs and makeup for men were the vogue in the upper class. Much emphasis was placed on shaving during this century. A listing of an average 'gentleman's' dressing box included: soap, powder puffs, brushes, oil and scent bottles, curling irons, scissors, rouge and shaving necessities. Society demanded that a man keep his face clean-shaven. Social demands were more relaxed in the 19th century and much of the literature of the time recommended a bearded face for a man. The smooth-faced man was given a boost in 1901 when King Camp Gillette and William Nickerson established the American Safety Razor Company which produced safer, cheaper, disposable alternatives to the straight edge. Personal shaving became more common after World War 1. The safety razor and the disposable blade lead to the decline of the barbershop. In most rural communities, men shaved in the kitchen using a small looking glass near the back door. There were also other essential accoutrements for shaving such as the razor strap, the bristle brush and the porcelain shaving mug with drain holes and a side compartment for the brush.

Jerrold Cameron




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Item: PITCHER AND BASIN
Date: c. 1830s
Dimensions:
Basin: diameter top- 32 cm, diameter base - 14.5 cm, height - 10 cm
Pitcher: diameter base - 12.5 cm, diameter at widest point - 19 cm, height - 26 cm

Comments: The pitcher and basin were common household items in Maritime Canada during the 1800s and into the 1900s. This ceramic garden-pattern washbasin and pitcher were donated to the Antigonish Heritage Museum by Mrs. Doris Flikke. The basin and pitcher were originally part of a set of three, completed by a chamber pot. The set was brought from Scotland by Mrs. Flikke's great-grandmother, Caroline MacKinnon, in the early 1830s; she travelled from the Isle of Skye with this set, settled in Prince Edward Island, married a sea captain and moved to Lunenberg. The pitcher and basin are classic examples of spongeware, which was produced extensively in Scotland and Ireland during the 19th century. Spongeware was one of the principle methods of decorating British earthenware. It was designed for daily use with simple shapes for simple needs. The pattern was repeatedly applied by children and unskilled labourers who dabbed the whiteware with coloured sea sponges that had been cut or tied to form the desired shape. Some of the design on this set may also have been painted by hand, judging from the unevenness. The painting is a garden pattern with green leaves ringing the interior and exterior of the basin and the exterior of the pitcher. There are also clusters of blue flowers and clumps of large red fruit. The plain ornamentation on the handle was common to the mid-1800s.

This type of ewer and basin was commonplace in the 19th century. The two objects were central to a toilet table or washstand of the day. There was usually also a chamber pot that fit in the bottom of the stand and a rack on the side to hang towels. The pitcher and basin were eventually replaced by the sink. At the end of the century Sears catered to those with indoor plumbing and to those with none. In 1887 they offered sinks, wash basins, and urinals fitted for plumbing but also toilet sets--matching pitcher and basin--either with or without slop jars and covers.

Jerrold Cameron




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Item:ROUND TIN SPONGE BATH
Date: mid-1800s
Dimensions: pan tub - 38 cm d, 14 cm high
seat - 23 cm x 25 cm

Comments:This sponge bath was donated to the Antigonish Heritage Museum by Ernest McNaughton, a long-time resident of Antigonish who passed away in 1998 at the age of 95. Mr. McNaughton's family, who resided in Upper South River, owned the bath all of his life but its origins are obscure. What is known is that McNaughton remembered the tin bath from the turn of the century. More than likely it was used in the kitchen near the wood-burning fireplace or stove, which was the main locale for most rural bathing rituals. The bath, save for the bottom, appears to have been painted many times. It is constructed from sheet tin metal and features four small round metal knobs welded onto the bottom of the tub in a cross-shape to act as pads or legs. This bath has a small seat on the side to sit on while soaking one's toes. There is also a duct behind the seat which leads into the tub and serves as a conduit for hot water. The tin construction made the pan lighter than a wooden tub and its shape meant less water was required. Although the wide flaring sides were designed to contain the splashing, the low bath provided little opportunity for thorough washing, and one was usually obliged to stand and wash the body with a sponge. There are no markings on this tub; however, it closely resembles models manufactured of sheet metal in Boston during the mid-19th century.

Before 1850, there were few tubs large enough to permit total immersion of the body. Bathing grew in popularity during the 1800s due to many factors: the price of soap declined, running water became more available and people began to realize the health benefits of bathing. At the Great Exhibition of 1851 there were many examples of this new interest in the bath on display: the Sponge Bath, the Hip Bath, the Fountain Bath, the Foot Bath, the Slipper Bath and even the Travelling Bath for travel to the unplumbed Continent. These baths were made of copper, zinc, sheet iron or tin. In the late 19th century, most families owned one or more portable tin baths. The exteriors were usually painted plain brown or a simulated wood-grain. The interiors were finished in robin's egg blue or imitation marble. The paint did not last long and for this reason, as in the McNaughton case, the bath had to be frequently repainted.

Jerrold Cameron




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Item:CURLING TONGS
Date:c. 1900
Dimensions: 23 cm long and 5 cm wide (at the handle)

Comments:This set of curling tongs was donated to the museum by the estate of K.M. MacDonald, one-time school teacher. The curling tongs are made of iron with two polished wooden handles. The actual curling rod is much thinner than those of modern curling irons. The irons were heated over alcohol lamps or on a woodstove rather than by electricity. This latter technique explains the burn marks on the handles. The hot irons were also damaging to the hair; for this reason, women sometimes wrapped paper around their hair before curling.

In the late 19th century, hair fashions stressed curls, frizzes and false pieces over straight or braided hair. The "mischievous effects" of repeated use of hot curling tongs were often counteracted by generous applications of Rowland's Macassar Oil. According to the T. Eaton catalogue for 1901, a similar model of double-handled curling irons cost anywhere from 3 cents to 8 cents, depending on the size. Extra large curling tongs were available for making larger curls. The fashion-conscious woman could also purchase a waving iron for waving or crimping her hair, or a Nicols' patent curling iron heater which was guaranteed not to blacken the tong while heating.

Wendy Sangster








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