By Jill Chapman
Victorian Moustachery
Victorian
era gentlemen’s style saw facial hair as fashionable, much alike today. Males took
great measures to look presentable & well-manicured, applying wax &
stiffening their ‘staches.
Gentlemen
today may benefit from the use of an object derived from the 1800s for use with
a face clad in hair. British potter Harvey Adams (1835) is credited for
developing the drinking vessel known simply and affectionately as the
“Moustache Cup” in 1860. Originally,
these cups had a semi-circular opening against the side of the cup with a guard
to protect a pampered moustache. Men who wore stiffening waxes would
essentially have a small rest upon which to place their moustache while taking
a sip of a hot drink. This would avoid the inevitable wax melting mishap &
hairs out of place, & all would be okay in the world of men’s
etiquette.
Moustache Cup Expansion
The
creation of these helpfully masculine porcelain pieces flourished, seeing international
manufacturers like Royal Crown Derby, Imari and Royal Bayreuth catch on to the
production trend. In the United States, many early Moustache Cups were marked
with names that led buyers to believe they were purchasing England-made
products (that were very much in fashion).
The
International Copyright Act of 1891 made it so that manufacturers and authors
could not falsify information about the origin of their products and
intellectual property (books, music, etc.). This created honesty in sales.
Our
collection contains four moustache cups; one that can be viewed in the General
Store building during full operations. You can purchase antique moustache cups
and replicas alike online at varying price points. With the holidays around the
corner, a Moustache Cup would make a lovely gift for the barber in your life,
or simply for loved ones who have a genteel respect for a well-manicured
above-lip strip.
Today we respectfully tip our real and hypothetical Victorian era moustaches; in honour and support of those taking part in the Movember fundraising campaign for men’s cancers throughout the month of November.
The Canadian Movember Campaign
If you would like to donate or register to participate in your own Movember 2015 campaign, please visit: https://ca.movember.com/. You can choose to donate by simply clicking a link to ‘Donate” to the cause or to an individual’s page at this time.
Sources:
http://mymoustachecup.com/process/4578532362, http://www.torontoantiquesonking.com/2010/08/11/moustache-cups-a-brief-history/
Jill Chapman is the Visitor Experience Coordinator at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. She has been a member of the Lang team since May of 2012. Jill is a passionate advocate for education, the arts and fitness. When not at work, Jill might be found running through the North Cavan foothills or on one of the County’s rotary trails.