Quiz: Match these famous moustaches with the historical figures
How well do you know these hirsute figures from history? It’s November, a month where many grow moustaches in aid of men’s mental health awareness. From pencils to handlebars, test your knowledge of famous ’taches…
Handlebars, pencils, horseshoes, Van Dykes – there have been many different types of moustaches through history, and in November, many men grow their facial hair in aid of good causes.
Facial hair is "easy to regard as a quirky side note in history," says Dr Alun Withey, a historian of facial hair at the University of Exeter. The fact that the moustache is an emblem of a charity supporting men's mental health, says Dr Withey is "a reminder of how facial hair (on or off!) has always symbolised manliness and been closely bound with ideas about masculinity and men’s appearance across time.
"Each period in history has its own distinctive facial hair fashions, and each can tell us a great deal about how society, and individual men, wished to be seen. Even the market for products for facial hair has a long history, with the first commercial shaving goods appearing more than 250 years ago."
Find out more on the HistoryExtra podcast as Dr Withey takes us on a journey through shaving and grooming trends from 1650-1900.
Test your knowledge of past 'taches in our quiz below…
Authors
Elinor Evans is digital editor of HistoryExtra.com. She commissions and writes history articles for the website, and regularly interviews historians for the award-winning HistoryExtra podcast
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