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"AFROS" in the Victorian Era?

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2themax

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I was visiting another site and came across this info. Just thought it was interesting lol.........



Victorian Afros...
afro.jpg
afro2.jpg



​
afro3].jpg

​

 
wow. that is beyond interesting. what site was this? did they give an explanation or discuss it in regards to fashion?
 
tallnomad said:
wow. that is beyond interesting. what site was this? did they give an explanation or discuss it in regards to fashion?
Click to expand...

I found it on www.rapunzels.com. I had also read somewhere else (the name escapes me right now) that "other" women used to wear their in Afros since their hair was more coarse than usual and it was considered quite fashionable, in the United States, Asian & Phillipine areas - just to name a few.

I guess you learn something new everday:yep:
 
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Here are plenty more! They were called Circassian ladies...
http://www.sideshowworld.com/BL-History-CircassianB.html

Circassian beauties were women of the Circassian people of the Caucasus mountain range in Circassia, Northern Caucasus. A fairly extensive literary history suggests that Circassian women were unusually beautiful, spirited and elegant, and as such were desirable as slave concubines. This reputation dates back to the Ottoman Empire when Circassian women living in the Sultan's Harem started to build their reputation as extremely beautiful and genteel.

As a result of this reputation, in Europe and America beauty products were regularly advertised, from the 18th century on, using the word "Circassian" in the title, or claiming that the product was based on substances used by the women of Circassia. In the 1860s the showman P. T. Barnum exhibited women whom he claimed were Circassian beauties. Their distinctive Afro-like hair style was copied by other female performers, who became known as "moss haired girls".

The combination of the popular issues of slavery, the Orient, racial ideology and sexual titillation gave this report some notoriety at the time. Circus leader P. T. Barnum capitalized on this interest, displaying a "Circassian Beauty" at his American Museum in 1865. Barnum's Circassian beauties were young women with tall, teased hairstyles, rather like the Afro style of the 1970s. Actual Circassian hairstyles bore no resemblance to Barnum's fantasy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circassian_beauties
 
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I don't think this girl is a "Circassian beauty"...she looks more like an African beauty :D
Cir-Girl-25.jpg
Cir-Girl-26.jpg

From the website with Circassian beauties... LOL! I guess she fooled a few people :)

ETA The more I look at that site, the more I realize that some of them were actually biracial...but I guess they could "pass" for a beauty from Caucasus in those days when fair skinned blacks were more unusual in some areas.
 
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FlowerHair said:
Here are plenty more! They were called Circassian ladies...
http://www.sideshowworld.com/BL-History-CircassianB.html

Circassian beauties were women of the Circassian people of the Caucasus mountain range in Circassia, Northern Caucasus. A fairly extensive literary history suggests that Circassian women were unusually beautiful, spirited and elegant, and as such were desirable as slave concubines. This reputation dates back to the Ottoman Empire when Circassian women living in the Sultan's Harem started to build their reputation as extremely beautiful and genteel.

As a result of this reputation, in Europe and America beauty products were regularly advertised, from the 18th century on, using the word "Circassian" in the title, or claiming that the product was based on substances used by the women of Circassia. In the 1860s the showman P. T. Barnum exhibited women whom he claimed were Circassian beauties. Their distinctive Afro-like hair style was copied by other female performers, who became known as "moss haired girls".

The combination of the popular issues of slavery, the Orient, racial ideology and sexual titillation gave this report some notoriety at the time. Circus leader P. T. Barnum capitalized on this interest, displaying a "Circassian Beauty" at his American Museum in 1865. Barnum's Circassian beauties were young women with tall, teased hairstyles, rather like the Afro style of the 1970s. Actual Circassian hairstyles bore no resemblance to Barnum's fantasy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circassian_beauties
Click to expand...

Thanks, very interesting.
I bet a lot of them had African blood, even though they are a Caucasian people.
 
FlowerHair said:
I don't think this girl is a "Circassian beauty"...she looks more like an African beauty :D
Cir-Girl-25.jpg
Cir-Girl-26.jpg

From the website with Circassian beauties... LOL! I guess she fooled a few people :)

ETA The more I look at that site, the more I realize that some of them were actually biracial...but I guess they could "pass" for a beauty from Caucasus in those days when fair skinned blacks were more unusual in some areas.
Click to expand...


LOL very true.
 
FlowerHair said:
I don't think this girl is a "Circassian beauty"...she looks more like an African beauty :D

From the website with Circassian beauties... LOL! I guess she fooled a few people :)

ETA The more I look at that site, the more I realize that some of them were actually biracial...but I guess they could "pass" for a beauty from Caucasus in those days when fair skinned blacks were more unusual in some areas.
Click to expand...

I agree - African beauty!

You're right! Some did appear to be biracial. I've also seen some Asian women myself who are totally Asian and wearing Afros. Unforutunately, they caught me staring:lachen: Hey! it was new to me:grin:
 
morehair4me said:
I agree - African beauty!

You're right! Some did appear to be biracial. I've also seen some Asian women myself who are totally Asian and wearing Afros. Unforutunately, they caught me staring:lachen: Hey! it was new to me:grin:
Click to expand...

I wonder what her life was like in those days... I guess her parents rather gave her to the circus than have her living her life as a slave :perplexed
She looks really young, her chest is still flat. She could be 12 :sad:

ETA I just saw that she was 11, that's what it says on the poster...
 
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FlowerHair said:
I wonder what her life was like in those days... I guess her parents rather gave her to the circus than have her living her life as a slave :perplexed
She looks really young, her chest is still flat. She could be 12 :sad:

ETA I just saw that she was 11, that's what it says on the poster...
Click to expand...

That's kinda sad:perplexed Fortunately, our ladies of today don't have to be oppressed with that option!!
She does look really young.
 
i am interested in the VIctoria era......mainly because of books......but this is trippy.....lol

better hide them before others get ideas......lol!!!!
 
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