Casgliadau Arlein

Wig worn by drag queen Marcia Bassey Jones. Marcia was a mainstay on the Cardiff drag scene from the mid-1980s performing in venues such as the Tunnel, Wow and Minsky’s.

Wig made from synthetic hair in varying shades of red/copper/orange/blond. In the area surrounding the face, each length of hair is attached to a pale brown net using a hitch knot, resulting in two strands which are then cut and styled. The rest of the wig appears to be made from widths of strung up hair, that have been applied in horizontal rows to a skull-cap base. The spacing of the rows is controlled by vertical bands of pale brown synthetic lace.

The hairstyle features an exagerrated quiff (c. 8cm tall), ending in an outwards curl at the right side of the head. The rest of the hair is swept back and is draped into a messy bun at the nape: it is held together with a black elastic hair bobble and then pinned in position using a number of bobby pins. The net base is shaped to the contours of the head/face. There are elasticated tapes at the centre back which have metal hooks to fasten the wig to the head. There is also an integrated metal comb at the inner centre back to fix the wig to the wearer's existing hair. The hair has been treated with hair spray or another type of stiffener to give it a firm texture. The wig is fixed to a head made of styrofoam with 3 white metal T-shaped pins which are inserted at the forehead and temples.