Did Lizzie Wear Nail Polish?

[augusta]

Earlier today, I was looking at the painting Tina-Kate posted under this topic. The painting, of Lizzie, had her fingernails manicured and tastefully polished.

This afternoon, I was reading an old article from The Boston Daily Globe, dated June 22, 1893. The article (or column) was called Under the Rose.

It said in part: " ... There were signs, moreover, of knuckles, but the nails showed evidence(s?)* of exceedingly careful attention and shone with a remarkable tint of pearly pink and white."

This could be taken as Lizzie having a manicure. It sounds like something she would do. Something Andrew would not have allowed. Yet again, it could just be describing her natural nails.

* = my (s?). It's hard to tell if there is an "s" there or not.

[Susan]

Personally, from what I've read, I don't think Lizzie put nail polish on her nails, but, buffed them to a beautiful shine. Nail polish, as we know it, wasn't invented until the early 1920s when Michelle Ménard, of the Charles Revson Company, was inspired by the automobile enamel of the day.

In the early 1800s, almond-shaped nails were the fashion –short and a bit pointed. Women would buff their nails with a scented red oil on a chamois. A rosy tint would appear that lasted a day or two.

As late as 1880, reigning beauties Sarah Bernhardt and Lillie Langtry started a trend by tinting their nails and skin with berry juices and food coloring. Their beauty rituals were practiced in private due to the strict social rules of the time.

By the late 1890s, manicure parlors popped up everywhere. “Of the greatly increased number of persons who have their hands attended to by professional manicurists, a considerable number now have the work done at home,” reports the July 17, 1896 edition of the Daily Nevada State Journal. Quoting from the article, “as many men as women have their nails cared for by professionals.”

In the early 1900s, tinted crèmes or powders were massaged into the nails to create shine. A glossy nail varnish was ready for purchase and applied with a camel’s hair brush. It would only last for one day.

There was an advertising campaign that began in the 1890s when Charles Knox created gelatin from leftover slaughterhouse waste. Knox claimed that this waste material would strengthen nails since cow’s hooves were strong.

[Shelley]

Many vintage vanity or dressing table sets have a nail file, cuticle pusher and a chamois nail buffer which has a little finger grip on the back for vigorous polishing. Actually a carefully buffed nail (a buffing oil rubbed into the cuticle and nail beforehand) is as impressive as a French manicure and the nails are a shell-like rosy pink. I also recall a white nail pencil which could be run beneath the nail for a clean look to complement the buffed nail.

[Kat]

Good answer Susan! Thanks!

Shelley- why did they go to so much trouble?
Personally, I don't care about my nails.

[Shelley]

Oh Kat! Those were the days when people had leisure time to worry about buffing their nails, curling their hair, fussing over clothing and jewelry, trimming hats, sewing buttons on gloves, and a thousand other trifles. There was no television, dvd, fast transport to the Mall, all night theatres and amusement centers, manicure salons and other diversions so there was time for grooming in the evening before bed at home. At least the people who did not have to slave in the mills had time- and even they took pains about appearance when they could. Now we are all too busy on our computers, cell phones, racing from place to place and "saving time". Ah, PROGRESS- so they say.

[augusta]

Thanks for your fascinating post, Susan. I had read about there being manicure places in the 1890's and figured nail polish was surely a part of the manicure.

I guess if one was a lady of leisure, as Lizzie was, she'd have time. Watching PBS's "1900's House" where the people had to live like they were in 1900, they worked so hard they didn't have time to even think about their nails.

[Susan]

You're welcome, Kat and Sherry. As Shelley posted, women of leisure probably had plenty of time to worry about the state of their nails. And having a servant to do the hard, grungy work, their nails would probably stay in fairly good shape; not splits, or hangnails, or dirt under them.

I wonder if the women who had to work really hard like Bridget, or the settlers, or such worried about their nails as often, or was it a once a week thing? Like say after their Saturday night bath they took care of them to be clean for Sunday services?

And it is kind of funny, after all this fussing on their nails, when out in public they would cover them up with gloves. But, from the tone of the reports of the day, a lady was judged by the state that her hands were in. It sounds as though small, clean, white hands with cared for nails were the sign of a true lady.

[Kat]

OH! You made me think of "the things hidden" when you mentioned gloves over pretty nails. Good point.
That was the Victorian way tho right? Who knew what kind of knickers a lady was hiding under all those skirts? Having pretty nails and hands, that only she and her closest friends and husband knew about was part of the Victorian Mystique, as I understand it. Hidden things- a mystery.

[augusta]

Doing their nails and covering their hands with gloves. That's funny, Susan.

It's akin to something I used to do - I'd do my hair before I'd go out to get my hair done. Not a big fuss, but I'd wash it and curl it enough to get by with. I was always afraid the beautician wouldn't be in, and I'd be stuck out in public looking like a witch.

[Susan]

Yes, you're right, Kat, hidden things. It is so very Victorian. Just looking at some of the period underwear, its so fancy; pin tucks, lace, ribbon, ruffles, pleats, etc. and who saw it all? The lady who wore it and possibly her husband, and the maid who had to wash it all. Oooo, and some of those fancy stockings of the day with beautiful embroidery, who was to see, who was to know?

It reminds me of one of the things I learned in an art history course; the statues on the pediment of the Parthenon were fully painted when new. Even the backs of the statues were painted, even though no one could see them from down below, but, the Greeks knew it was there and that was satisfaction enough for them.

Sherry, that is too funny! My fiance is like that, he straightens up the house before his cleaning lady comes.

[augusta]

Ha! Your fiancee is funny about cleaning up before the cleaning lady comes, Susan. Now that's something I would not do. (That's if I had a cleaning lady. Well I do - me!)

One day a property tax assessor came over and asked me, "Do you have a dishwasher?" And I said, "Yes. .... Me." And he says, "Do you have a garbage disposal?" I said, "That would be my husband."

Your posting about 'what lies beneath' is so interesting, Susan. It reminds me of when they were making 'Gone with the Wind'. One of the semi-major actresses didn't have a petticoat for under her dress. They were hand-sewn and soooo gorgeous. David Selznick insisted that Wardrobe get the girl one made up. And the actress said, "But Mr. Selznick, no one will know the difference." And he said, "My dear, you will know the difference."

[Susan]

Garbage disposal, your husband, thats great, Sherry! Did the assessor at least crack a smile at that?

Yes, I've heard or read that Gone With The Wind story, though it was slightly different. It was one of the actresses who was Melanie's sister (or was it Scarlett's?) who was alleged to have told David Selznick that he should save his money and not waste it on the beautiful underthings as no one would ever see or know about it. And of course his reply, "You will know." Maybe it was Scarlett's sister, its been years since I've seen the movie, but, the idea was supposed to be that she was a rich girl and should totally feel like a princess in her beautiful petticoats.

[amber_g27]

I don't think so, from what i have read Lizzie appeared to be very manly.