A wig is an artificial covering of hair. The word is short for periwig and appeared in the English language around 1675. Some people wear wigs to hide the fact that they are bald, which means they have very little or no scalp hair. Actors often wear wigs to disguise their appearance or get into character. In Britain and other Commonwealth nations, some public employees, such as judges and barristers, wear wigs.
Many composers during the 18th century wore wigs.
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wearing a wig.
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Johann Sebastian Bach wearing a wig.
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George Frideric Handel wearing a wig.
Images for kids
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Historical reenactment of wig making in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia
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Wig Headdress, Wari People, 600–1000 CE, Brooklyn Museum
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Queen Elizabeth I, pictured in 1588
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Marie Antoinette wearing the distinctive pouf style coiffure; her own natural hair is extended on the top with an artificial hairpiece.
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John Adams in 1788.
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Thomas Jefferson in 1786.
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James Madison in c. 1770-1780.
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James Monroe in 1794.
