Combing Collection

Man prepares his hair ready for his wedding day - Djibouti, East Africa. Date: 1908

Woman Combing Her Hair, 1886. Artist: Edgar Degas
Woman Combing Her Hair, 1886. Found in the collection of the State Hermitage, St Petersburg

Madame Poupoule at her Toilet, 1898, (1952). Creator: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Madame Poupoule at her Toilet, 1898, (1952). Woman combing her hair in front of a mirror. Painting in the Musee Toulouse-Lautrec, Albi, France

Woman at her Toilette, 1889. Artist: Edgar Degas
Woman at her Toilette, 1889. Found in the collection of the State Hermitage, St Petersburg

Nylon comb advert from DuPont, 1952 C019 / 1284
Nylon comb advert from DuPont. Advert for DuPont nylon combs and toothbrushes, from the August-September 1952 issue of the DuPont Magazine (volume 46, number 4, page 44)

Gossip about Fairies 24
Fairies live on good terms with animals and birds - here, fairies are combing goats beards, something which goats themselves find it hard to do, having no hands (or combs)

The Boarding-School Hair-Dresser, 1786. 1909 (print)
1000962 The Boarding-School Hair-Dresser, 1786. 1909 (print); Private Collection; (add.info.: From Illustrierte Sittengeschichte vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart by Eduard Fuchs, published 1909.).

And so she pines, and so she died forlorn, imploring for her Basil to the last, Illustration to the poem Isabbela
3502843 And so she pines, and so she died forlorn, imploring for her Basil to the last, Illustration to the poem Isabbela, or The Pot of Basil by John Keats, from Poems of Keats

Rippling flax to remove seeds, 1880 (engraving)
864021 Rippling flax to remove seeds, 1880 (engraving); (add.info.: Rippling flax to remove the seeds and remains of flower heads. In the background the flax plants are being pulled (harvested)

Man, woman & small boy working wheel for combing long staple wool into slivers for worsted manufacture
538585 Man, woman & small boy working wheel for combing long staple wool into slivers for worsted manufacture, c.1845 (engraving); (add.info.: Man)

Woman spinning with a Jersey Wheel, 1836
3479122 Woman spinning with a Jersey Wheel, 1836; (add.info.: Woman spinning with a Jersey Wheel - used for wool and cotton)

Carpet manufacture, 1843
3479017 Carpet manufacture, 1843; (add.info.: Carpet manufacture, Glasgow: combing wheel which brought the fibres parallel to each other ready for spinning, London)

Salon de la Mode, c.1895. Creator: Roedel, Auguste (1859-1900)
Salon de la Mode, c.1895. Private Collection

Interior with a Mother Combing her Child's Hair, Known as Maternal Care, 1669. Creator: Gaspar Netscher
Interior with a Mother Combing her Child's Hair, Known as Maternal Care, 1669. Woman wearing a silk dress and a fur-trimmed jacket with her two children

Recueil des modes de la cour de France, Habit d'Espée en Esté (image 1 of 2), c1678. Creator: Nicolas Bonnart
Recueil des modes de la cour de France, Habit d'Espee en Este (image 1 of 2), c1678

Recueil des modes de la cour de France, Fille de Marchand, estant à Sa Toilette, 1687. Creator: Nicolas Arnoult
Recueil des modes de la cour de France, Fille de Marchand, estant a Sa Toilette, 1687

Fameuse perruque, 1836. Creator: Honore Daumier
Fameuse perruque, 1836. A Famous wig. From Galerie physionomique

A female figure, standing by a bed, combs her hair, early-mid 19th century. Creator: CW Eckersberg
A female figure, standing by a bed, combs her hair, early-mid 19th century

La femme. Je viens de découvrir une mèche... 19th century. Creator: Honore Daumier
La femme. Je viens de decouvrir une meche... 19th century. Conjugal Morals - (The woman.) I just discovered a wick in your vest

Nude with mirror (Nu au miroir), 1931. Creator: Bonnard, Pierre (1867-1947)
Nude with mirror (Nu au miroir), 1931. Found in the collection of the Ca Pesaro Galleria Internazionale d'Arte Moderna, Venice

Fameuse perruque, 1836. Creator: Honore Daumier
Fameuse perruque, 1836. Famous wig

Portrait of Jo Stafford, ca. July 1946. Creator: William Paul Gottlieb
Portrait of Jo Stafford, ca. July 1946

Devant la psyche, 1890. Artist: Morisot, Berthe (1841-1895)
Devant la psyche, 1890. Found in the collection of Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Martigny

Italian peasants (oil on canvas)
NGW388562 Italian peasants (oil on canvas) by Williams, Henry Penry (1798-1885); 51x38.3 cm; National Museum Wales; (add.info)

JAPAN 9
Japan/ Kyoto/ Gion area the neighbourhood where Geishas live, study and perform. Geishas and Maikos attending a class at " Mia Garatso" school of Geisha

JAPAN 4
Japan/ Kyoto/ Gion area, neighbourhood where Geishas live and perform. Face portrait of a smiling Maiko with combed hair, white make up, head ornaments and traditional kimono

JAPAN 32
Japan/ Kyoto/ Gion area, neighbourhood where Geishas live and perform. Geisha with white make up on her face, combed hair, head ornaments and traditional kimono

The centre panel of The Pearl Divers, c1797-98, (1936). Creator: Kitagawa Utamaro
The centre panel of a triptych, c1797-98, (1936). Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock of a woman in patterned blue kimono, combing wet hair while breastfeeding a naked child

Heckling hemp, 1866. Heckling is the process of combing hemp or flax to remove impurities prior to spinning. A print from Cyclopaedia of Useful Arts, Mechanical and Chemical, Manufactures, Mining

T W Rust & Co. Combing Room in 1892 Date: 1892

Combing Room, T W Rust & Co in 1892 Date: 1892

Woman Combing Hair - Advertisement illustration of an attractive young lady in a negligee combing her hair at her mirror. Date: 1929

Men wearing heavy oilskin protective clothing would go into the tunnels under the streets of London to unblock the sewers with a combing method. Date: 1881

Father and mother with daughter lying on bed watching tv, smiling
1974, Three People, Child, Girls, Mid Adult, Mid Adult Women, Mid Adult Men, Preschool Child, Caucasian Appearance, Indoors, Horizontal, Black And White, Photography, Head And Shoulders, Full Length

Femme se Coiffant, c. 1887-90 (charcoal and crayon on paper)
GLS314085 Femme se Coiffant, c.1887-90 (charcoal and crayon on paper) by Degas, Edgar (1834-1917); 57x30 cm; Art Gallery and Museum, Kelvingrove, Glasgow

She was combing her long Tresses (colour litho)
2794444 She was combing her long Tresses (colour litho) by Woodward, Alice Bolingbroke (1862-1951) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: She was combing her long Tresses)

A woman at her toilet, illustration for Mitsou by Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873-1954)
STC240028 A woman at her toilet, illustration for Mitsou by Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873-1954) published 1930 (etching & drypoint) by Chahine

In front of the mirror (oil on canvas)
OVR390569 In front of the mirror (oil on canvas) by Krohg, Christian (1852-1925); Private Collection; Photo © O. Vaering

Hairdresser, from the series "Twelve Types of Womens Handicraft (Fujin tewaza)
Hairdresser, from the series " Twelve Types of Womens Handicraft (Fujin tewaza juni ko)", Japan, c. 1798/99

Comb Rashomon (Sashigushi Rashomon), no. 3 from a series of 12 prints depicting parodies of plays, c. 1716-35

In the Heather, 1896. Creator: Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
In the Heather, 1896

Jeune femme nue se coiffant dans un interieur, 1887. Private Collection

The Glory of Womanhood (oil on canvas)
CH378442 The Glory of Womanhood (oil on canvas) by Kennington, Thomas Benjamin (1856-1916); 153x99.6 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; English, out of copyright

The Mermaid, 1892 (oil on canvas)
778666 The Mermaid, 1892 (oil on canvas) by Waterhouse, John William (1849-1917); 33.5x19.5 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; English, out of copyright

Combing the Hair (La Coiffure), c. 1896 (oil on canvas)
3709989 Combing the Hair (La Coiffure), c.1896 (oil on canvas) by Degas, Edgar (1834-1917); 114.3x146.7 cm; National Gallery, London, UK; (add.info.: Maid brushing her mistress hair)

Woman getting ready (coloured photo)
3643380 Woman getting ready (coloured photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Woman getting ready. Postcard, early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

Moki Indians Courtship, 1908 (gouache on paper)
NUL386949 Moki Indians Courtship, 1908 (gouache on paper) by Farny, Henry Francois (1847-1916); 28.5x44.5 cm; Private Collection; American, out of copyright

The ladies chamber and toilet of the 14th Century (coloured engraving)
972896 The ladies chamber and toilet of the 14th Century (coloured engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The ladies chamber and toilet of the 14th Century)

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"Combing Through Time: From Ancient Rituals to Modern Necessities" From the delicate strokes of a brush through luscious locks in Edgar Degas' "Woman Combing Her Hair, 1886, " to the meticulous preparations for a wedding day in Djibouti where a man carefully combs his hair, it has been an essential part of grooming rituals throughout history. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's portrayal of Madame Poupoule at her Toilette in 1898 takes us into the intimate world of personal care, where combing becomes an art form. Similarly, Edgar Degas captures another private moment in "Woman at her Toilette, 1889, " reminding us that even mundane activities like they are be transformed into captivating scenes. In the mid-20th century, DuPont introduced nylon combs with their advert from 1952. This marked a significant shift towards modernity and convenience as people embraced new materials and technologies for their daily routines. But combing is not limited to personal grooming alone. Thomas Rowlandson's satirical illustration "Dressing for a Masquerade" humorously depicts how even during playful moments, we find ourselves reaching for our combs to perfect our appearance. Beyond vanity lies folklore and tradition. In "Gossip about Fairies 24, " we discover that fairies too engage in communal haircare rituals involving gentle combing. Meanwhile, T. W Rust & Co. 's Combing Room showcases the industrial side of this practice with workers meticulously crafting shaving brushes or preparing fibers for various purposes. History also reveals unexpected uses for combs like London's sewer unblockers who wore heavy oilskin protective clothing while using the combing method underground in 1881. Their brave efforts remind us that sometimes even seemingly mundane tools can play crucial roles behind-the-scenes.