Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2009.86 |
Object Name |
Pin |
Title |
Pin with Hair of General Andrew Jackson |
Artist |
Unknown |
Date |
19th c. |
Description |
Octagonal metal pin with circle inlay with woven hair supposedly from Andrew Jackson. Pin has a chipped bronze color with pin back sticking out bottom right. The hair inside is reddish-brown |
Label |
Mourning jewelry, such as this pin reputed to contain a lock of Andrew Jackson’s hair, was a popular personal ornament in the 19th century. Mourning jewelry often included hair from the deceased, which was then woven into intricate designs. Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States, serving two terms beginning in 1829. Jackson was both loved and hated during his lifetime and after his death for his advancement of popular government. However, his aggressive policies, including the forcible removal of Native Americans to areas beyond the Mississippi River, have given his presidency a negative legacy. This hair was likely cut from Jackson’s head before his old age, since it retains his original reddish-blond coloring. When Jackson died in 1845 at the age of 78, his hair had turned near-white. |
Material |
Hair |
Dimensions |
W-0.75 L-1.125 inches |
Credit line |
American Philosophical Society. Gift of Miss Emily Phillips, 5 February 1892. |
Search Terms |
19th century nineteenth century jewelry mourning commemorative President |