ABOUT THIS COLLECTION  
Until the 17th century, lawyers in the United Kingdom were expected to appear in court with short hair and beards. That changed once wigs became the fashion for polite society outside the courtroom by the late 17th century. Wigs then gradually disappeared everywhere, except for the legal profession. Judges wore only full-bottomed wigs until the 1780s, when the smaller bob-wig, with frizzed sides and a short tail or queue at the back was adopted for civil trials. The full-bottomed wig continued to be used for criminal trials until the 1840s, but as we see here, it was usually still used for formal portraits into the 20th century.  Today wigs are no longer required during family or civil court hearings, but the smaller versions are still worn during criminal cases.
 
COLLECTION DETAILS
Series title: Men in Wigs
Series size: 8 artworks
Edition: Limited edition of 1000
Proof of Ownership: Certification on the Ethereum blockchain under the ERC1155 protocol. Each artwork is delivered privately and directly to collectors as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that guarrante proof of ownership.
Format: Pieces consist of PNG files sized 2160x3840 pixels - 150 dpi.
Medium: Photography
Artwork materials:  Photographic paper, half-plate glass negative
Contract Address: 0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e
ID: 2749212597480566...
 
ABOUT THE ARTIST
The various portrait photographers represented in this collection took basically the same photograph, with minor variations in the background and positioning. As important judges, the sitters wanted to convey a public image of high-minded authority, impartiality and tranquility.  This was about image management not only as individuals, but as representatives of an institution. Wig, robes, and dark indistinct background, occasionally with a suggestion of books or an architectural column. The goal was to eliminate idiosyncrasy, or anything that detracted from an image of power and status.
 
COLLECTION CREDITS
Historical curatorship: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
Artwork: Alexander Bassano, Elliott and Fry, The Law Gazette
Year of original publication: 1883 - 1893
Post-production: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
Digital art supervisor: Marie-Lou Desmeules
Editorial: Braden Phillips
Historical research: Evangelos Rosios, Braden Phillips
Executive production: Victor Zabrockis
 
RIGHTS OVERVIEW
Source of artwork: California Digital Library, Internet Archive
Underlying work rights: PD Worldwide
Digital copyrights: No Additional Rights