Advocacy, Fun, Unidentified Photos
No Shave November
Nov
Over the past few years, have you noticed that a lot of men have stopped shaving and are growing some really cool beards in the month of November? This is because of trend called No Shave November. The idea behind this is to bring awareness to issues such as testicular and prostate cancer and mental health. The month long event may also be used to raise money for charity organizations. As can be seen from many of the portraits in Napa County Historical Society’s photographs collection, the culture and stylings of facial hair throughout the years have changed, but we’ve been left with some reminders of what was considered popular at the time. Please enjoy this gallery of some of our photographs of unidentified people and their distinctive beards, and consider supporting a health services organization of your choice this month.
History of Facial Hair
Throughout history, beards have been in and out of fashion. In ancient times, beards were often seen as noble. Touching another man’s beard can be seen as an extremely disrespectful act. In the United States having facial hair was a radical act until the 1800s. Facial hair and long hair for men did fade during the 1900s because of the World Wars. Lice were the main reason why soldiers kept the close-cut look that we have come to associate with the military. In the ’60s we started to see beards come back into fashion, and they have grown in popularity every generation since.
