The Moustache

Victorian artists, such as John Gilbert, were known for their pencil sketches of historical events, these illustrations would appear in the Illustrated London News. It was during this period that the moustache had a bit of a revival.

In the first of the above images, John Gilbert has a number of Yorkists, including a misshapen Richard of Gloucester mocking the body of John Clifford who you can see has a moustache, in his illustration of Shakespeare's Henry VI Part III. Also from the same play, another of Gilbert's illustrations depicts a moustached Earl of Warwick speaking to a messenger.
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Both these images are confusing, very few men from this period shaved their beards and left only a moustache - although it wasn't unknown as you can see from the tomb of Edward, the Black Prince, he has a fine long moustache.

During the Elizabethan period many men wore beards, but during the reign of James I beards had had their day and moustaches became fashionable as the would, as previously mentioned, at the beginning of the Victorian era - Lord Bryon wore a splendid one.

If you want to read a bit more on the subject of facial hair Lucinda Hawksley's book Moustaches, Whiskers and Beards: A History of Facial Hair, is worth read. It looks at the worst and the most hilarious examples of facial hair.

                                                      www.lucindahawksley.com/moustaches-whiskers-beards/