LECTURE: "The History of Hair Work Jewelry" with Karen Bachmann, opening of "The Art of Hair Work: Love and Memory in the 19th Century," The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum, NYC

This Friday, September 20th, hope to see you at the opening of The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum's new exhibition "The Art of Hair Work: Love and Memory in the 19th Century." The occasion will be marked with a special illustrated lecture on the history of hair work jewelry by many time Morbid Anatomy instructor and lecturer Karen Bachmann, an art historian and master jeweler whose area of expertise is Victorian hair work jewelry.

The lecture will begin at 6 and will take place at The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum, which is located at 421 East 61st Street between First and York Avenue in New York City. Full details on both the lecture and exhibition follow; hope to see you there! Also, stay tuned for news of a special Morbid Anatomy tour of the exhibition to take place very soon--probably on October 14th!

LECTURE
"The History of Hair Work Jewelry"
Illustrated lecture with Karen Bachmann, Art Historian and Master Jeweler
September 20, 6pm
$18 Adults; $15 Museum Members and Students

Art Historian and Master Jeweler Karen Bachmann will present 19th-century mourning rituals, focusing on hair work jewelry, a popular form of commemorative art that reached its zenith during the Victorian Era. Afterward, join Ms. Bachmann for a reception and discussion of the Museum's exhibit.

EXHIBITION
The Art of Hair Work: Love and Memory in the 19th Century
August 28, 2013 – November 17, 2013

The Art of Hair Work:  Love and Memory in the 19th Century, Part II, opens August 28, 2013, at The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden and will remain on view until November 17, 2013. Used as tokens of love, friendship, and remembrance, the objects in this exhibition show changing social customs and popular fashions in the 19th century. Hair work set into jewelry had been produced in Europe for several centuries, but it was not until the second half of the eighteenth century that hair jewelry began to be produced in significant quantities in America. Hair was a natural material for mourning ornaments; however, hair jewelry was also often used for commemorative or celebratory purposes.  Part II of the exhibition focuses on the mid-to-late 19th century and the development of hair jewelry in both size and the elaborate nature and variety of designs.  Professional hair jewelry manufacturers could now be found along Broadway, and directions for making hair work at home were printed in popular ladies’ magazines and instructional manuals. Objects on display include rings, charms, pendants, bracelets and two hair wreaths, one of the more elaborate forms of this art.  

An opening reception with a lecture by Art Historian and Master Jeweler Karen Bachmann will be held on September 20th at 6pm at The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden. Ms. Bachmann will present 19th-century mourning rituals, focusing on hair work jewelry which reached its zenith during the Victorian Era.

The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum building was constructed in 1799 as a carriage house and converted into a “day hotel” in 1826. Today the museum transports visitors back to that Mount Vernon Hotel, a 19th-century country resort for New Yorkers escaping the crowded city below 14th Street. The Museum’s mission is to preserve and interpret travel, leisure, work and play in diverse antebellum New York. 

Visitor Information: The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11am to 4pm. The exhibit is open concurrent with Museum hours and is included with admission. The Museum is located at 421 East 61st Street between First and York Avenues. It is easily accessible from 59th Street/Lexington Avenue on the 4, 5, 6 or N, R, Q. For further information call the Museum at 212-838-6878 or visit www.mvhm.org.

More here. Hope very much to see you there! Image supplied by the museum.