40 lashes. More or less.

21st Century lashes gone mad

I learned last week that eyelashes are a recent development in mankind’s history.
I have photographic evidence.

Look at this lady.

Nice jewelry. I wouldn’t mind a necklace like that. But if I had to choose between it and eyelashes, I’d go with eyelashes every time.

Or this woman. 

 Such a pleasant face. In spite of the fact that her eyes are apparently killing her, trying to keep all the 17th century dust out of her eyes. Because she has no lashes.

Here is a pretty young lady. Look at that hairstyle. 

Just think what she could have done with a nice fringe of lashes. Even just a top set.

This poor little girl. 

Feeling all pensive that she is lashless. She is wishing on a handkerchief bunny rabbit. Please, please little hanky bunny. Bring me some lashes for my birthday.

By the 19th century things were looking up.
See this wedding procession?

Hardly anyone is smiling. Especially the young women who aren’t the bride.

Now look at a close-up of the groom’s face.

 He is looking smug, sort of like, “Oh yeah. I got me one with those new-fangled lashes.”
 
When my son was born I, the concerned mother, asked the nurse if it was normal that he had no eyelashes. She promised me they would come in and they did. How nice that he could have been born in the 20th century. 400 years earlier the nurse would have just looked at me and asked in puzzlement, ‘What’s an eyelash?”