MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS) - Oaklands Mansion is adding a remarkable new chapter to its story—one woven quite literally from strands of history. Executive Director James Manning announced that the museum has acquired a significant collection of Victorian hair art from the legendary Leila’s Hair Museum in Independence, Missouri. After the passing of museum founder Leila Cohoon in 2024, her granddaughter, Lindsay Evans, selected Oaklands as the permanent home for a portion of the world‑class collection.

It’s a distinction shared only with some of the most prestigious institutions in the country. By accepting these pieces, Oaklands joins the ranks of The Smithsonian Institution, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the National Museum of Funeral History. For Murfreesboro, it’s a moment that places local history squarely on the national stage.

The newly acquired collection includes thirty‑eight items representing the height of Victorian sentimentality and craftsmanship. Visitors will see eight framed examples of intricate “gimped” hairwork shaped over wire, twenty‑eight pieces of delicate jewelry hairwork, a framed palette‑and‑dissolved hair artwork, and a rare mourning bonnet crafted entirely from human hair. Manning said the pieces are far more than curiosities; they are deeply personal artifacts that once served as tokens of love, remembrance, and mourning.

The collection will take its place inside Oaklands Mansion beginning April 14, but the community won’t have to wait that long to get a first look. The official unveiling is set for Friday night, April 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Maney Hall. The evening will feature a special presentation by Zen Hansen of Hair Anthropology, along with Oaklands’ own Jody Johnson, who recently completed advanced studies at the North House Folk School in Minnesota. Johnson will also lead future workshops at the mansion, teaching the nearly lost arts of table braiding and gimp work.

Admission to the unveiling is fifteen dollars for adults, ten for students, and free for Oaklands members. Attendees will be among the first to see the collection up close and learn why Victorian hairwork remains one of the most intimate and fascinating art forms of its era.