Why did prominent politicians start shaving circa 1910 Onwards?
I think vacapinta and Chocolate Pickle has the best answers so far: after the introduction of the Gillette safety razor, more men started shaving every day, including politicians. (Anker Jørgensen, Danish prime minister 1972-83 and 1975-1982, had a short beard while in office. Czech president Vaclav Havel had a moustache while in office.
Chocolate Pickle: “In 1901 Gillette developed the safety razor with disposable blades.” The spread of indoor plumbing and hot water heaters had something to do with it too. When the original owners of my house moved in in 1870 there was an outhouse in the back, a coal stove in the kitchen and no bathrooms in the house. By 1910 the house had a gas-fired hot water system and a bathroom. It’s a lot easier to shave when hot water is available at the tap vs. having to heat water on a coal stove.
Besides just general changes in styles … the rise of photography and modern media made it capable for everyone, even the poorest of folks, to see what their leaders really looked like. Prior to around the 1860s, it was rare to see politicians except in paintings and illustrations. Good, clean photographs didn’t start showing up in newspapers until the 1880s. Also, the modern U.S. military started banning beards around the time in question to ensure good seals on modern equipment, such as standardized helmets and, more to the point, gas masks.
This is purely armchair speculation, but lots of the West’s modern political adversaries–Kaiser Wilhelm 1, Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky Marx, Castro, Che–had very memorable facial hair. Obviously Hitler killed the toothbrush mustache for nearly everyone, but while regular men can get away with a nice Che goatee, it would probably scream “crazy unkempt pinko infidel” to anyone operating in a high-profile political sphere.
The first thing that comes to mind is that shaving is much easier now. In the past it involved a straight ravor, creams, a steady handy, time, etc. Now we just use a can of shaving gel and a disposable razor. The process takes a fraction of the time and the chances for a deep cut are very slim. Now, ironically, its more of a PITA to maintain a mini head of hair on your face. Lastly, there’s probably some sort of alpha male statement about not being forced to spend a lot of time grooming oneself. Maintaining a beard takes time and effort. I wouldnt be surprised if voters saw a man who spent a lot of time grooming as effeminate thus hurting his chances to win office.
