In the spirit of the month of November and more specifically the Movember Foundation, The Viva Cribb Local History Room has created a special moustache and beard display which shows members of the old Ipswich community in all their moustachioed glory. We have trawled through Ipswich’s photographic archives to discover various pictures of Mayors, businessmen and family men with their fabulously elegant beards and moustaches. Whether it was the likes of the humble handlebar or the daring walrus, the men in Ipswich’s history were true gentleman when it came to moustache presentation. During the 1900s in Ipswich it was rare for men to ever be seen without a well-groomed moustache or a hearty beard and stylish side-burns. It was a major fashion statement at the time and those men with a clean shaven face stood out like a sore thumb, as many of the photographs uncovered have proven.
The common moustache, or handlebar moustache, is only one of thousands of styles of mo and beard combinations that have been developed over the years. Looking through the Ipswich photographic archives alone we found more than 20 different style combinations including side-burns, side whiskers, beard and side-burn combinations and moustache and beard combinations! On investagation the style that appeared most often in Ipswich men through the 1800s-1900s was the Chevron and also many different shapes of sideburns and mutton chops. The moustache or side burn neatness in many of the men varied as this would have depended on how often the men shaved or were groomed at the local barber to get that fresh clipped look.
The reason we have become so enthusiastic about Ipswich’s historic facial hair styles is in support of the Movember Foundation, who hold the annual men’s fundraising initiative – Movember. The Movember Foundation is an organisation that exists to raise awareness and funds for men’s health problems including Prostate Cancer and mental health problems. This fundraising event was established in 2003 in Australia by a group of close friends and has since gathered global interest. It is now run in 21 countries with about 4 million participants every year and has raised close to $580 million. The aim of Movember is simple: men sign up to the cause and in the 30 day period of November they grow a fabulous moustache whilst working to raise money for a good cause. The aim of the Mo, as it is affectionately known, is to encourage conversation around the topic of men’s health which is so often overlooked in this world. So, if you are thinking of getting in the spirit of things this Movember, then come along to level 2 of the Ipswich Central Library and get some inspiration from our historical moustache display. It’s sure to spur some creative mo growing!
Ipswich Memories – Moustaches and Beards display on Level 2 of the Ipswich Central Library