18 April 2018
August Sirk's leather goods store was the name giver of the 'Sirk Corner', the 'Sirk Ecke' which is known until nowadays even when the company doesn't exist anymore. The address of the store marked once the beginning of the luxurious part of the Wiener Ringstrasse, reaching from the Vienna State Opera located vis á vis of Sirk Ecke to Schwarzenbergplatz. Sirk Ecke was once the place where people went to be seen and to meet others. The corner is described at the historical recordings of Wien Geschichte Wiki even as popular 'Rendezvous Place'. Skin and hair as interface to the world, as form of communication with others, the intentions and techniques of 'making oneself up' is the leitmotiv for the concept of the exhibition 'Skin Deep. Hair Dressers, Barbers, Beauticians'. The men's toilet bag is one of around 500 artefacts selected by curator Susanne Breuss mainly from Wien Museum's own collection for the tour through four non-chronological chapters over a time span from the 18th century to nowadays with exhibits like a wig by Eurovision Song Contest 2014 winner Conchita Wurst. The four chapters approach the beauty theme from different angles. The first chapter questions the construction of the self-image through the own's and the eyes of others. The second section is entitled 'Work on the body' ('Arbeit am Körper') and presents the origins, formations of crafts concerning hair dressing, grooming, cosmetics,... services and the development of consumer goods. The third throws light on the impact of media and role models. At the fourth chapter 'Body signs' ('Körperzeichen'), visitors will find historical examples for the communicative performance of a neat appearance or hair fashion like the 'bob cut' (German 'Bubikopf'). fig.: Men's toilet bag, August Sirk Company, around 1900. Photo: © Wien Museum/Birgit und Peter Kainz. |
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...like the men's toilet bag produced by August Sirk Company (at the turn of the 19th/20th century; image right) at the exhibition '