The amount of mustaches, beards, chops, side burns, soul patches, and even the occasional neck beard at the National Archives requires its own category. This is it.
Today's guest post comes from Tammy Kelly at the Truman Presidential Library. This week’s Facial Hair Friday photo is a most unexpected person: Harry S. Truman, before he became President! At the Truman Library, we know of only two photographs of Truman wearing any kind of facial hair, so this is a rare photo, indeed. … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: A Letter from Hairy Harry
Today in 1886, former President Chester A. Arthur died from complications from Bright's disease. He had not been relected for second term, and he had left office in 1884. He died in New York City, just 56 years old. Although he sported the facial hair style of the time, Arthur was an unlikely President. He … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Rising above party politics
It's the most wonderful time of the year! No, I don't mean the frenzied season of gift-giving. I'm talking about November, the month when several of your friends who have maintained clean-shaven faces suddenly begin to grow mustaches. If you love facial hair, this is your time. Yes, it's Movember! The month when men grow mustaches to … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Movember
Today's featured facial hair is especially appropriate for the approaching Halloween weekend. It's the plaster cast of a beard, taken of the deceased Walter Q. Gresham, who was Secretary of State at the time of his death in May of 1895. This death mask—complete with a few beard hairs stuck in it—may seem like an oddity … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: The Death Mask of Walter Q. Gresham
If you're planning to travel this Columbus Day holiday (and it was, like, 1835), you might thank this guy for building the first steam locomotive in the US: Peter Cooper—inventor, industrialist, and one-time Presidential candidate. But, most important for our purposes, Cooper was the owner of a truly remarkable beard. Impressive facial hair is an asset … Continue reading Facial Hair Fridays: Free education and facial hair for all
Herbert Hoover—successful businessman, international humanitarian, President during the Crash of 1929—and rugged mustachioed mining engineer? Yes, Bert Hoover started his career in the goldfields of Australia in 1897–1898. He then headed to China to develop coal mines, and he and his wife, Lou, were there during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. Fun fact: Herbert is … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Herbert the Handsome
Oh, President Taft. It was your birthday yesterday, and I just had to feature you here on Facial Hair Friday. You were one of the few Presidents that seemed to stick my brain when I was studying for the AP History exam. Important dates, key battles, our founding documents—I could barely keep those facts stuck to my … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: A really big mustache—and bathtub
Julius Henry Marx--better known by his stage name Groucho Marx--passed away on August 19, 1977. He left behind a legacy of humor on stage, radio, and film. I was not able to find to find any images of him in our holdings, which was disappointing as his trademark mustache was a fine candidate for Facial … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: A mustache, a funny man, and a President
We interrupt our usual hairy programming to bring you this musical interlude. What could be so important that we would skip mustaches, beards, and goatees? Well, today marks the anniversary of the Washington, DC, premiere of This Is the Army, with songs written (and one performed) by Irving Berlin. You would easily recognize Irving Berlin's … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: A Musical Interlude
Today's post comes from Gregory Marose, an intern in the National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications. When Russia sold the Alaska territory to the United States in 1867, Czar Alexander II did not take part in the negotiations. Could it be that he did not want to take time away from meticulously manicuring his … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: From Russia With Love
