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By the turn of the century, the practice of creating wax flowers for the bridal trousseau had become customary. An 1890 book by George Worgan, "the art of modeling flowers in wax," had reached its second printing and was considered an important guide to creating beautiful headpieces.
Whew! Obviously, Mr. Worgan felt that young ladies needed a little crafting spirit in the 1890's. Unfortunately, his stimulus lasted only into the first part of the 20th century. The art of modeling flowers in wax began to wane by the1950's when the advancement of man made materials reached an almost nationalistic fervor and plastic was king. By the 1960's, Worgan's beloved wax flowers fell out of favor, as petroleum products represented the new frontier.
Vintage Wedding Headpieces and Veils For more photos of 1920's veils and fashion history, click here!
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This La Mode Illustree bridal coiffure from Maison
Camille, rue du Quatre Septembre 1902 shows a simple use of the
traditional wax blossoms as a wedding headpiece covered with a rounded and gathered pouf of
unadorned silk tulle. This elegant manner of illusion veil over wax
headpiece continued through Edwardian times until the 1920's, when
bridal fashion
began a dramatic change, but through it all, wax blossom headpieces remained a
constant, almost required bridal adornment.
In his book's preface, Worgan wrote that he "wished to present a stimulus to
many to exercise their imitative powers in copying nature's most beautiful
works, thereby cultivating a taste for the fine arts, which in these days
of advancement is absolutely essential in the varied pursuits of
life." 
