Ear rings

[Gettmore]

Hear is a question that I formulated while looking over many of the re-enactment photos I take.
Did the Ladies of the period, have pierced ears for their ear rings or is that a modern fashion
statement?

 

[M.Warren]

I remember my Mother telling me as a child when we reenacted that, One single piercing in the lower lobe was acceptable and she usually wore the french hook/hoop style ear rings. I'm sure some of the Ladies here and tell you a lot better than I can though.

 

[Private Watkins]

I suspect, but can't say with certainty, that nose, lip and belly button piercings were not common amongst 19th century belles...

 

[chellers]

Hear is a question that I formulated while looking over many of the re-enactment photos I take.
Did the Ladies of the period, have pierced ears for their ear rings or is that a modern fashion
statement?

Welcome to CivilWarTalk.

The answer is yes, some ladies of the period had pierced ears. Here is one of several references:
https://books.google.com/books?id=Nbs8ks20tt8C&pg=PA288&lpg=PA288&dq=pierced+ears+american+civil+war&source=bl&ots=Wn312TJfEx&sig=J3yGv5qDr9jdLW6lqgVmJbGESAo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=r8uZVbTxB8bysAWrk4iwDQ&ved=0CD0Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=pierced ears american civil war&f=false

Here is a link to images of period earrings and the women wearing them:
https://www.google.com/search?q=ear...v&sa=X&ei=E8uZVdmaGsGusQWByprICg&ved=0CB4QsAQ

 

[Poor Sharecropper's Son]

I suspect, but can't say with certainty, that nose, lip and belly button piercings were not common amongst 19th century belles...

I'll bet Ellie Reno did - she was quite the modern gal for her day

 

[Gettmore]

Chellers,
Thank you for the imfo and reply

 

[johan_steele]

Women of the day did to a degree but men not so much. Lip, navel, nose, cheek etc piercing... yeah hale no. For a man to have an ear ring he had best be a sailor; otherwise he was advertising.

 

[chellers]

Chellers,
Thank you for the imfo and reply

My pleasure.

 

[GenDeb]

I'll bet Ellie Reno did - she was quite the modern gal for her day

 

[FarawayFriend]

Here little girls had their ears pierced at the age of two approx. And don't ask how this was done, you will not like to know. The first photo shows a pair of earrings these little girls would have worn then. These belonged to my grandma and maybe even my great grandma, they were handed down to me.

And these were worn by the (young) ladies:

The first pair hold a little piece of coral, while the second pair is made from garnet. Garnet was very fashionable then.
And of course only one piercing per earlobe and nowhere else, and only for girls.
The earrings always were modest, not chandelier style like nowadays. It was not appropriate for a lady to boast the family wealth.

 

[rosefiend]

Actually Annie Etheridge, the vivandiere, had her ears pierced, though her conduct was praised (by, at this time, everybody I've come across) as being beyond reproach. Make of that what you will!

I don't think Ellie Reno could afford having pierced ears, much less earrings. It looks like she was cast out from her family and home, and had to scrabble for a living toward the end of the war.

(This pic is of Annie Etheridge, by the way. Isn't she lovely?)

 

[damYankee]

As a interesting side note, in Roman times earrings ( ring shaped) were only worn by slaves as a way of identifying a person as such.
Greeks reserved the wearing of rings for prostitutes, pearl earrings were worn by wealthy woman.

 

[KLL]

Welcome to CivilWarTalk.

The answer is yes, some ladies of the period had pierced ears. Here is one of several references:
https://books.google.com/books?id=Nbs8ks20tt8C&pg=PA288&lpg=PA288&dq=pierced+ears+american+civil+war&source=bl&ots=Wn312TJfEx&sig=J3yGv5qDr9jdLW6lqgVmJbGESAo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=r8uZVbTxB8bysAWrk4iwDQ&ved=0CD0Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=pierced ears american civil war&f=false

Here is a link to images of period earrings and the women wearing them:
https://www.google.com/search?q=ear...v&sa=X&ei=E8uZVdmaGsGusQWByprICg&ved=0CB4QsAQ

Thank you so much for these links. It appears I have just the thing for my impression. I'm new and am learning so much already!

KLL

 

[MaryDee]

I've seen a number of earrings from the period, and all were for pierced ears. Since mine are unpierced, I have to go without when reenacting. I've been told it's possible to use a piece of thread tied around the ear, but they just don't look the same!