Page:Guide to the Bohemian section and to the Kingdom of Bohemia - 1906.djvu/147

121 And this with the assistance of kind friends, like Mrs. Stránecká, the goverment and municipal schools, and the one founded by the „Pošumavská jednota“ (union for promoting Bohemian-Forest districts) there is every reason to hope, that the present high standard of excellence in Bohemian Pillow-lace will not simply be maintained, but that its improvement go on continuously.

Like all trades concerned with the requirements of dress or adornment, particularly as to the wants of the ladies, that of the hair-worker is affected from time to time by change of fashion. What a glorious thing for our village workers employed in this business if the wig-weaving custom was again in favour, or the 18th. century fashion revived with its art and artful contrivances commonly used in dressing the hair of both ladies and gentlemen. Even the reappearance of the „chignon“ would from the trade point of view, be welcome. As it is our hair-workers are kept pretty busy with the present-day’s needs of the fashionable and every-day world. Wigs for those to whom nature has been unkind; with others in endless variety for the operatic and dramatic stage—Hair nets; which when in wear are invisible, „frisettes“ and other dainty little aids to hair-dressing, indeed our village hair-workers are equal to producing any possible wants of the professional hair-dresser, or the private requirements of ladies and gentlemen.

In the Chrudim and Chotěboř districts in the S. E of Bohemia, as many as 600 workers are employed, chiefly by two local dealers and the agents of several Vienna houses who send their orders in for the most part in winter, and so the villagers are enabled to earn money in the season when they have plenty of time for engaging in this indoor labour.

The material, human hair, is supplied by dealers from various parts of Bohemia, Moravia, Lower Austria, Tyrol and Hungary, in addition to these sources of supply, a large quantity is imported from China through the agency of houses in Hamburg, Bremen and Trieste. The agents assort