Two Victorian-era ink drawings depicting the "Next hideous 'Sensation Chignon'" (a giant insect on a woman's head) and a "Horrible Idea suggested by the Twisted Chignon" (a coiled snake as a hairdo)! From a commonplace book compiled in late-nineteenth-century England by a young woman, Elizabeth Tatham, evidently a talented artist, and initialed by her on each drawing, with the second drawing dated 1868. 6 x 7.5 inches (15 x 18.7 cm) and 6.5 x 8 inches (16.8 x 20.3 cm), each mounted to 8.5 x 11 inches (23 x 28 cm). Nicely framed.

Hairstyles were an important fashion statement in the Victorian era, expanding in size and height through the middle of the nineteenth century to match ever-expanding skirts and bustles. From the 1840's to 1860's, the chignon was an especially popular style, often adorned with combs, flowers, jewels, or ribbons. By the late 1860's, chignons were ever more extreme, often weighing over 5 ounces!