So I did extensive research (not) into how Clare does her hair to play her part as a Harvey Girl at the Harvey House in Montaña Roja in the New Mexico Territory in 1890. I have wash-and-wear curly hair that does pretty much whatever it wants to so a Gibson Girl updo was not remotely within the realm of possibility.
Anyway. I found a blog called Sew Historically that has all kinds of interesting details about Edwardian life, including an entire post about the Gibson Girl updo, which I had just made Clare do and admired the result without knowing how she did it. The privilege of being a writer defined, right there.
5 Ways To Make An Edwardian Gibson Girl Updo
There follow illustrations and instructions.
Here is a photo from the kansaswelcome.gov website of a row of early Harvey Girls, all with Clare’s hair.
(See cover art for The Harvey Girl below.)
Follow the link back to read the whole Sew Historically post because it’s worth it. For one thing I can’t imagine how much the shoulders of those women ached after keeping their arms up over their heads for as long as it took to erect any of those edifices. And ensure that they stayed up.
Launching from the Poisoned Pen Bookstore
on Saturday, February 28th, 4pm.
See you there!
Chatter Random Saturday The Harvey Girl Gibson girl updo sew historically
3 Comments Leave a comment ›
So interesting!
Ah! I had a friend with very long hair who once told me that she knelt between two chairs (or anything with a flatish surface) and rested her elbows on the chairs when they got tired. Gradually she was able to keep her arms in the air longer and longer until she could do it straight off. She wasn’t trying to do that kind of hair do but I wonder if the women then would have done something similar?
They must have.