Judging a Book by Its Hair: Identity and Stereotypes in American History
🧔 Hair is never just hair. So what was it trying to tell us in the nineteenth century?
In colonial British North America, hair was often seen as bodily discharge, even excrement. By the nineteenth century, it had become something far more powerful: a supposed window into who a person really was, whether a man or a woman, Black, white, Indigenous, or Asian, healthy or diseased, courageous or criminally inclined.
Dr. Sarah Gold McBride, historian and Continuing Lecturer in American Studies at UC Berkeley, and author of Whiskerology: The Culture of Hair in Nineteenth-Century America, explores how a diversifying nation used hair to sort, classify, and judge one another. But if hair could reveal the truth, could it also be used to deceive? Americans used it to make political statements, to pass across lines of race or gender, and to reinvent themselves in new cities.
Through letters, diaries, cartoons, advertisements, photographs, and even objects made from human hair, this talk reveals a past that feels strange, and in some ways all too familiar. 🪮
🕰 Event Details
What should I expect?
7:00-7:35 --> arrival & chats
7:35-8:20 --> lecture
8:20-9:00 --> q&a and more chatting
Who's invited?
Anyone with an interest in learning new things, meeting new people, and doing fun things on weeknights! Lots of people came solo to our last event, so don't be afraid to do the same—you’ll meet some awesome people!
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Photos and short video clips may be taken for promotional purposes. By attending, you consent to being photographed or recorded. We do not do full recordings of lectures at this time.
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🍸 Alcohol & Safety
Depending on the venue, alcohol may be sold and served exclusively by the venue in accordance with California law. Big Brain is not responsible or liable for alcohol service, overconsumption, or any actions resulting from intoxication. By attending, you voluntarily assume all risks associated with a public indoor event and agree that you are solely responsible for your own conduct, safety, and transportation before, during, and after the event.
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