Summer Care for Vintage Hair Accessories: Lessons from August 2017

August 2017 was unusually warm in Britain, and readers started asking whether celluloid combs could warp in direct sunlight or if silk ribbons on Edwardian hairpieces would fade. That month, I answered those questions with material science, collector anecdotes, and trial-and-error from my own dressing table. The result was a small but dense archive of practical knowledge that still holds up today.

Why August 2017 Focused on Summer-Safe Materials

The central thread of that month’s archives was material durability. Celluloid, the early plastic that dominated hair accessories from the 1890s through the 1930s, behaves beautifully in cool, dry conditions but becomes tacky and brittle when exposed to high humidity. One post from 14 August 2017 documented a 1905 French celluloid barrette that had developed a sticky residue after being worn to a garden party. The solution—gentle cleaning with a microfiber cloth and a brief rest in a silica-gel box—was shared in the comments and later turned into a standalone guide. That guide, along with similar notes on tortoiseshell (real and simulated), formed the backbone of the month’s content.

Another recurring topic was the maintenance of metal hair pins and slides. August 2017 included a detailed comparison of silver-plated Edwardian hair pins versus the nickel-plated versions that became common in the 1910s. The advice was concrete: silver plate tarnishes faster in humid air, so a light wipe with a silver cloth before storage is non-negotiable. Nickel, by contrast, can be washed in mild soapy water but must be dried immediately to avoid water spots. These distinctions matter to anyone who buys vintage accessories at flea markets or online auctions, where provenance is often unclear.

Three Key Finds from the August 2017 Archives

August 2017 also introduced readers to specific pieces that had crossed my workbench that month. These items were not just pretty objects; they served as case studies for the material lessons above.

• A 1920s French celluloid bow clip in amber tortoiseshell — This clip had been stored in an attic for decades and arrived with a slight bend in the prongs. The August post explained how to gently re-shape celluloid using warm (not hot) water and a wooden form, a technique borrowed from early 20th-century hairdressers’ manuals.
• An Edwardian silver-plated hair comb with hand-painted flowers — The paint was flaking. The archive included a step-by-step method for stabilising the remaining pigment using a conservation-grade acrylic varnish, a process that requires patience but saves the original decoration.
• A 1950s black Bakelite slide with a carved geometric pattern — Bakelite is more heat-resistant than celluloid, but August 2017 warned against leaving it in direct sunlight because the colour can fade unevenly. The post recommended storing Bakelite pieces in a dark drawer, ideally separated by acid-free tissue.

Each of these items appeared in separate posts between 5 and 28 August 2017, and together they formed a mini-course in summer care for vintage hair accessories. Readers who followed the advice reported back in the autumn with success stories—combs that stayed glossy, bows that retained their shape.

How the August 2017 Archive Connects to Broader Knowledge

That month’s work did not exist in isolation. It built directly on insights from earlier that same year. For instance, the method for re-shaping celluloid drew on a technique first described in the June 2017 archives, which had focused on restoring Edwardian hair combs after damp storage. Similarly, the discussion of Bakelite fading echoed a warning from April 2017, where a collector’s 1930s green Bakelite headband was shown to have turned a muddy brown after a single summer on a sunny windowsill. By August, the blog was able to synthesise these scattered observations into a coherent seasonal care routine.

Practical Takeaways You Can Use Today

Even though the August 2017 posts are several years old, the material science has not changed. Celluloid still hates heat; silver still tarnishes; Bakelite still fades. Here are three actionable tips drawn directly from that archive:

1. Test your storage environment. If you keep your vintage accessories in a box in a loft or a garage, check the temperature and humidity during a warm spell. August 2017 recommended a simple hygrometer (costing under £10) and a rule of thumb: if you feel sticky, your celluloid feels sticky too.
2. Clean before storing, but gently. A dry microfiber cloth is almost always safe. For stubborn grime on metal, use a dedicated jewellery cloth—never dip silver pieces in liquid unless you are certain they are solid metal and not plated over base metal.
3. Rotate your collection. One surprising insight from August 2017 was that wearing a vintage piece even once a month helps keep it in good condition. The natural oils from your hair can prevent celluloid from drying out, and the movement prevents stress fractures from settling in one spot. This is not an excuse to wear fragile museum pieces daily, but a gentle reminder that these accessories were made to be used.

A Final Detail from That Month’s Correspondence

On 31 August 2017, a reader from Brighton sent a photograph of a celluloid hair slide she had inherited from her grandmother. The slide was stamped with the mark of a small London manufacturer, active only between 1912 and 1914. She was unsure whether to wear it or keep it in a drawer. I told her to wear it once, on a cool evening, to a special event, then store it properly. She did—and later wrote back that it had been the highlight of her outfit. That piece of advice—enjoy your vintage accessories, but respect their limits—still holds.