Beards and mustaches vary widely from culture to culture and from one time period to the next. Through Fantastic Facial Hair, an exhibit of intriguing images on view at The History Museum through April 13, 2025, many of these styles can be seen.

From the Old Dutch that became popular in the mid-1800s to the Handlebar that was seen frequently from the late 1800s to the 1920s to the Pencil that was sported from the 1920s-1960s, facial hair has changed frequently, fearlessly, and sometimes, frenetically from one decade to the next. Fantastic Facial Hair chronicles ways men (and sometimes women) have proudly sported their facial furniture, from the handsome to the outright ridiculous.

In the exhibit, visitors can discover background stories of styles and the people who made them popular. For example, beards or mustaches on U.S. presidents have been rare. The first Chief Executive to grow whiskers was Abraham Lincoln. Beginning his campaign clean-shaven, Lincoln was inspired to cultivate his facial hair by a letter from 11-year-old Grace Bedell, who suggested he might grow a beard because “all the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you and then you would be President.”

Fantastic Facial Hair gives a perspective of barber shops, haircutting tools, and even the background of the famous Burma Shave signs that once populated America’s roadsides. The company’s use of slogans printed along a stretch of highway was the result of a clever marketing campaign that catapulted the product into one of the best-known shaving foams in America.

With virtually each decade of history giving some type of nod of approval for beards and mustaches, and popular culture’s increased interest in the same, Fantastic Facial Hair is an exhibit that can appeal to all ages.

Also at The History Museum is the 38-room Oliver Mansion, once home to industrialist J.D. Oliver, president of the Oliver Chilled Plow Works. All furnishings in the historic house are original to the home, giving visitors a remarkable glimpse of how the wealthy family lived.