Leila's Hair Museum facts for kids
Leila's Hair Museum is a unique museum located in Independence, Missouri. It showcases amazing examples of hair art that date back to the 18th century and even earlier. This museum is a special place where you can see how people used hair to create beautiful keepsakes and art long ago.
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What is Hair Art?
Hair art is a fascinating way people used to create art and mementos from hair. This art form started as early as the 16th century and became very popular during the Victorian era (the 1800s). Before cameras were common, people used hair art to remember loved ones.
Types of Hair Art
People would collect hair from family, friends, or special events like weddings. They would then carefully craft it into different items:
- Hair wreaths: These were made by shaping hair into tiny flowers and arranging them into a wreath. The finished wreath was often placed in a special shadow box frame.
- Memorial pieces: Sometimes, wreaths were made using hair from someone who had passed away. This helped people remember them.
- Jewelry: Hair was also used to decorate necklaces, bracelets, rings, and lockets.
- Other art: You could also find hair woven into paintings or medallions.
Meet the Founder: Leila Cohoon
The person behind this incredible museum is Leila Cohoon. She is a retired cosmetology teacher who lives in Independence, Missouri. Leila also founded the Independence College of Cosmetology.
Leila's Passion for Hair
Leila has always been fascinated by hair. She started collecting hair art in 1956, and it has become her life's work. She believes hair is one of the most unusual parts of the human body.
How the Museum Started
Leila opened her hair museum in 1986. At first, it was just a small room in her cosmetology school. She had collected so much hair art over the years that she needed more space! Later, the museum moved to a larger location. Now, the museum has several rooms filled from top to bottom with amazing hair art.
The Museum's Collection
Leila's museum has a huge collection. It includes over 600 hair wreaths and more than 2,000 pieces of hair jewelry. Some of the hair locks date back to the 18th century and even earlier.
Old and Unique Pieces
The oldest item in the museum is a brooch from 1680. Many of the framed hair art pieces are over 150 years old. Some unique items include:
- A piece made from hair collected from every member of a local chapter of the League of Women Voters.
- Two pieces made from hair cut from sisters who both joined a convent.
Hair from Famous People
The museum also has hair from some very famous people! You can find hair from:
- Elvis Presley
- Michael Jackson (This even led to the museum being a question on the TV show Jeopardy! on December 30, 2016!)
- George Washington
- Abraham Lincoln
- Daniel Webster
- Aaron Burr
- Marilyn Monroe
- Singer Jenny Lind
- Queen Victoria
Even with these famous pieces, Leila is most interested in saving and sharing the art of hair, not just collecting hair from celebrities.
