Facial Hair Friday: William and William (A Tale of Two Neck Beards)

Today's post comes from Nikita Buley, an intern in the National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications. Why were neck beards ever socially acceptable? In my humble opinion, they are the facial equivalent of mullets or bowl cuts. Unlike bad haircuts, however, they may have had some useful characteristics. Maybe they kept cold wind from … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: William and William (A Tale of Two Neck Beards)

Facial Hair Friday: The Curiously Facial Hairless Members of Lincoln’s Cabinet

Today's post comes from Nikita Buley, an intern in the National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications. In the late 1700s, as Americans fought for their independence, most men were clean-shaven. As we moved into the 1800s, however, facial hair—elaborate facial hair, at that—came back into style. Despite this shift, many men remained clean-shaven. A … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: The Curiously Facial Hairless Members of Lincoln’s Cabinet