An original 18th century satire engraving on high fashion depicting a French hairdresser mounting a ladder to arrange with tongs the curls of a lady with an enormous coiffure. Another man with a long queue, presumably her husband, looks on holding a sextant to measure the height.

The depiction of a marine sextant, only recently perfected in 1759 by John Bird, and used to determine longitude at sea, only adds to the topicality and absurdity of the image.

Designed, engraved and printed by Matthew Darly at the sign of the Golden Buck, Fleet Street in 1771. Mounted and framed.