'“The Seven Sutherland Sisters was a singing group which included the seven daughters of Fletcher and Mary Sutherland of Lockport, New York.[1] They appeared with Barnum and Bailey\'s from the early 1880s to the early 1900s.[2] Their distinguishing feature was their long hair; publicity about the length and texture of their hair enabled the Sutherlands to create a successful line of patent medicine hair and scalp care products. The Seven Sutherland Sisters was a family act from Niagara County, New York that performed worldwide to great acclaim.[4] Daughters of Fletcher (1816–1888) and Mary (Brink) Sutherland (1824–1867), they started doing concerts with a brother in the early 1880s, and three years later the sisters were traveling with Barnum and Bailey\'s \"Greatest Show on Earth.\"[4] The children of Fletcher and Mary Sutherland included:[5] Sarah (1845–1919)[6] Victoria (1849–1902)[6] Isabella (1852–1914)[6] Grace (1854–1946)[6] Naomi (1858–1893)[6] Dora (1860–1926)[6] [7] Mary (1862–1939)[6] Fletcher and Mary Sutherland were buried at Glenwood Cemetery in Lockport, as were most of the sisters. With fans fascinated by their hair, which reached a collective length of over 37 ft (11 m), Fletcher Sutherland went on to create a patent medicine, \"The Seven Sutherland Sisters Hair Grower\", which was mostly witch hazel and bay rum, along with traces of hydrochloric acid, salt, and magnesium.[3][8][9] The tonic quickly became a best seller, and the line of Sutherland Sisters hair products expanded to include a scalp cleanser, brushes and combs, and \"Hair Colorators.\"[3] In addition to wholesaling their products to retail stores, they also made public appearances at retail outlets, and maintained several outlets of their own – \"parlors\" where customers could consult with a salesperson and make purchases—including one in New York City.[4] When Naomi died in 1893, the Sutherlands auditioned for a replacement, and hired Anna Louise Roberts to join their act.[6] Roberts made headlines in 1927 when she was over 60 and her husband and she became destitute as the result of a house fire.[10] The Sutherlands resided in a mansion they built in Warrens Corners, New York, which burned down in 1938.[11][12] Even though hairstyles changed over time, and the short hair of the flappers became fashionable in the 1920s,[6] the Seven Sutherland Sisters hair care products were successful for years after their singing act ended; print ads for them appeared in newspapers until the mid-1920s.[13] Published accounts indicate that the sisters did not save or invest wisely, and some of them later became destitute.[6] When the last living sister, Grace, died in 1946 at age 92, she was buried in an unmarked grave.” Source of the article: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Sutherland_Sisters'
Tags: vintage , fashion history , History , 19th century , 1800s , long hair , victorian fashion , historical hair
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