Brooklyn Library Acquired Historic Hairworks
The Morbid Anatomy Library has put 50 hairwork pieces from the closed Leila's Hair Museum on long-term display.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Collecting
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The Morbid Anatomy Library in Brooklyn recently added roughly 50 hairworks to its collection. These artifacts, originally from the now-closed Leila's Hair Museum in Missouri, feature human hair braided into mourning mementos.
Why it matters
The acquisition preserves items that illustrate 19th-century grieving rituals. These practices were popularized by Queen Victoria following the death of Prince Albert.
The library acquired roughly 50 hairwork items, which were part of a 3,000-piece collection housed at Leila's Hair Museum. These pieces consist of human hair woven into lockets, necklaces, charms, and shadowboxes.
The players
Morbid Anatomy Library
A Brooklyn-based institution dedicated to the intersection of art, medicine, and death.
Leila's Hair Museum
A former museum in Independence, Missouri, that specialized in the preservation of Victorian-era hair jewelry.
Queen Victoria
The British monarch whose public mourning practices significantly influenced 19th-century social customs.
The details
Created by clipping hair from the deceased, the pieces are braided into intricate shapes like flowers and wreaths to serve as sentimental mementos. They reflect historical mourning standards, including rules for grieving distant kin that were established in the 19th century.
Timeline
1861: Queen Victoria began public mourning rituals for Prince Albert.
1888: Mourning rules for distant kin were published.
1986: Leila's Hair Museum opened in Missouri.
Autumn 2025: Leila's Hair Museum closed permanently.
September 2026: Hairworks put on display at Morbid Anatomy Library.
Roadmap
This acquisition mirrors the broader preservation efforts seen after the closure of specialized cultural institutions. It highlights how private collections are dispersed to museums to protect specific historical practices against the loss of niche archives.
Residents and visitors to Brooklyn can now view these rare 19th-century items as part of the library's long-term exhibition. The exhibit provides a tangible look at historical mourning practices that were once a standard part of social life.
The takeaway
Hairwork stands as a unique window into the personal history of how previous generations processed loss. Collectors interested in historical ephemera can find similar items through specialized antique dealers and museum archives.
Further reading
For more on the preservation of rare artifacts, visit the Collecting section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Smithsonian Magazine.
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