From the left, top row:
1. The Chin of Self Control and Will Power [this looks like an ordinary chin to me, though I do agree that this lady looks determined]
2. Cupid's Chin [he might want it back, though]
3. Obstinate Little Girls Have This Chin [and they refuse to give it to Cupid or anyone else]
4. Money Making Chin [this is the one I want - how does it make money? does it have a high-paying job no one knows about?]
5. The Talkative Chin [now this one scares me! I don't want my chin to say anything to me!]
In the bottom illustration you can see five kinds of mouth you might have:
Top Row:
1. Sensual and Inconstant [she's looking away, off camera - I think it's really her eyes that are inconstant, don't you?]
2. Artistic [deep thinking going on here, you can tell]
3. The Born Talker [why isn't this an open mouth, then?]
Bottom Row:
4. Self Satisfied Or Conceited [no idea why this one is conceited]
5. Scornful [yes, this one does look like she's thinking something pretty sarcastic]
6. Self Reliant and Orderly [very much like the Self Satisfied one - though I guess if you are self-reliant, you will be satisfied with yourself]
I would like to see what a Disorderly Mouth looks like, but Mrs. Ayer did not show that.
From Harriet Hubbard Ayer's Book: A Complete and Authentic Treatise on the Laws of Health and Beauty (1899).
Tomorrow in the Dime Museum: A Haunted Woman.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Chins and Mouths Explained By Harriet Hubbard Ayer
Posted by Lidian at 7:16 AM
Labels: 1900s books, Victorian Beauty, Victorian Popular Culture, Victorian women
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6 Comments:
I am afraid that I have the Obstinate Little Girl chin.
I think that I am the born talker! This is so interesting and funny to me at the same time. I love how you find these things!
This is hilarious. I am guessing this must be rooted in the phrenology beliefs that were very popular in the 19th century. Do you have any on noses? The phrenology quacks claimed that you could gleam boat loads from someone's nose.
Funny you should mention phrenology - that is exactly what these pictures made me think of. I have a fun phrenology book with some great pics, so I will definitely write some posts on that in the future.
Everytime I come here I end up smiling. These are too funny! :)
The money making chin could be like the Seinfeld episode where George becomes a hand model... perhaps there are chin models. Only I have no idea what they model. The under the nose models milk mustaches, maybe chins model gravy dribbles. Check around Thanksgiving for chin models in print.
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