À la Belle Poule

[anteros_lmc]

Since posting that splendid picture the other day of Eliza Carthy with the ship on her head I've been looking for the original French wig that surely inspired the photoshoot and I've finally found it. Allow me to present the height of fashion in naval head gear....


The extravagant "À la Belle Poule" hairdo was created in Paris in 1778 to commemorate the engagement between the Belle Poule and the Arethusa which heralded the beginning of French intervention in the American War of Independence.

So what d'you think, should I get a Bloody Indy hairdo?

Comments

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Hee, neck strain.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Or whiplash! Think of the recoil from the cannons! XD

[latin-cat.livejournal.com]

It reminds me of the first episode of Let Them Eat Cake in which they recreated that wig, complete with firing cannons! :D

[latin-cat.livejournal.com]

Ah, here we go...

"Let Them Eat Cake" Episode 1: Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

ROFL! That's brilliant! I've never seen this before, I don't even remember the series. Some of the lines are priceless and the wig itself is a veritable tour de force! Thanks so much for the links :D

[latin-cat.livejournal.com]

Sadly it didn't get much publicity at the time, but it's a little gem of a series and always a hoot to watch. :D

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

It's very funny, I must watch some more of them :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_likimeya/]

hair/naval engagement – I don't ship it. XD

I haven't had much sleep, okay!?

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

*groan* That's terrible. Do back to bed!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_likimeya/]

Not half as terrible as that hairdo, though!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Luckily I do believe I am short enough to carry such adornment off with aplomb! All I need now is to find someone who can make me a miniature replica of the Indefatigable and mount it on a three foot high wig. That shouldn't bee too hard should it?!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

You do? Really?! Wow! What useful housemates you have!

Would be tricky to find a crew to man it for the voyage too
Not at all! I have the crew right here :)

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

he's got an enormous collection of nautical litterature.
*is jealous* Lucky you!

We've got the crew! Let's start building!
Yay! Let put Mr Bush in charge of the dockyard!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

...he's a grumpy old man...</>
Ah well, you can't have everything ;)

'docka' in Swedish means both dock and doll, with absolutely no difference in pronounciation
Must be awfully confusing for the sailors!

[rum-inspector.livejournal.com]

LOL we were just talking about this with other 18th century re-enactors... that a ship-do would definately be worth it... a ship, some waves, with some tiny boats on the side :D

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

...and some tiny little lieutenants on the quarterdeck perhaps? ;)

[marwanthefirst.livejournal.com]

Better have some side boys as well, if those boats are in the hair-water!

lol. It looks like sausage links running down the sail edges--adds a second layer to the innuendo above.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Better have some side boys as well
Definitely. With nice white crocheted gloves ordered by Mr Bush!

It looks like sausage links running down the sail edges
ROFL! I wondered what those were! It never occurred to me that they might be sausages XD