Clark Girls

Wikipedia says:

Hair work, or jewelry made of human hair, was in fashion during most of the 19th century and a few decades into the 20th. It disappeared when short skirts and the bob became stylish around 1925.

There are several reasons why hair work was unbelievably popular for over a century. Human hair does not decay with the passing of time as most other materials. It has chemical qualities that cause it to last for hundreds, yes, thousands, of years. Hair has often played a part in myths and legends. The most well known is the story of Samson who was a member of a military sect, the Nazarites who believed that long hair was the source of strength. For the story look up Judges 13-16. Memorial jewelry was popular in the 16th century. In a Swedish book of proverbs one can read that “rings and bracelets of hair increase love”