Beards in this era were associated with criminals, radicals, the insane, or similarly unreasoned characters. Wigs got shorter as the century progressed; by the 1780s, shoulder-length wigs had been replaced by a shorter style known as a bag wig – one with perfectly rolled curls either side of the temples and a chignon tied with ribbon at the back.
This exhibition illustrates changes in beards, moustaches and sideburns from the 1780s to the 1980s.
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