What Adhesive/ Tape Was Used In The Old Days?
- Thread starter Nostab2
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In the times Washington and Napoleon they just slapped a white wig with curls rolling on the side on top of their head with nothing holding it down. Wigs were such a style then it was not really meant to be undetectable; I don't think men wearing those wigs went around thinking that they looked real. Actually, I think it was a sign of being in the "Gentleman" class and they probably wanted others to know it was a wig. Men with perfectly good heads of hair wore them too.
I don't know about the mid-1900s. I would be interested in hearing about that.
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I wish wigs were still de rigeur !
Noah
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Before the current generation of high tech hairpiece adhesives were developed, lace toupees were attached with a substance called spirit gum. So wearers like Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Bobby Darin and William Shatner, who wore pieces with an exposed lace hairline, will have been attaching with spirit gum. Of course, at that point lace hairpieces were the preserve of Hollywood stars and the very rich. Hairpieces for the ordinary man were thick clunky rugs, and you could not expose the hairline.
Spirit gum is still used in the theatre and cinema for attaching wigs and hairpieces, because it doesn't show up under the harsh theatrical lighting. The problem with it is that it doesn't last long, and once it goes it is completely gone. Unlike with most glues, you can't press the base back into it and get it to stick.
Spirit gum is still used in the theatre and cinema for attaching wigs and hairpieces, because it doesn't show up under the harsh theatrical lighting. The problem with it is that it doesn't last long, and once it goes it is completely gone. Unlike with most glues, you can't press the base back into it and get it to stick.