George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver (1860-1943), was an American botanist and inventor. Although he was not a full beard wearer, George Washington Carver had a stylish, full mustache that was matched by the fullness of his innovations.

He advocated for alternative crops to cotton and he developed many clever scientific methods to prevent soil depletion including systematic crop rotation. He encouraged poor farmers to grow alternative crops such as peanuts, sweet potatoes, soybeans, and pecans, so that they could grow their own nutritious food and improve the quality of their lives.

Because Carver was an advocate of studying, nurturing and regenerating soils, he not only improved the lives of farmers, he was also a leader in promoting environmentalism. In 1941, Time magazine named Carver the “Black Leonardo.”

The Beard Advocate Answers ‘Hairy Issues’

by Bill Alley, Broadcast Host, Wordsmith and Beard Advocate

Whichever Equinox is yours—Vernal or Autumnal, nature’s transition is your beard’s transition. Typically it is a time when men tend to reshape facial hair to fit the warming or cooling season. True to form, the winds of change often end up a grooming challenge. This photo was taken about 8 years ago on one of those early spring transitions at “the Key to Hartford (Connecticut)” - a monument with great form to get creative photography. The photographer is the state’s go-to guy for all State House pictures, and Greg (head in-between myself and the top figure) had arranged this session to accompany layouts for web design concerning our work as entertainers. It just so happens this serene moment was anything but still. Winds were rather stiff that late morning, and being right on the banks of the Connecticut River, it’s a natural spot for wind increase. We got a moment where winds had subsided and I was able to recover the beard’s natural shape.

Wind, dust, rain, fog, smog...elements that can make for a bad beard and hair moment in Portrait Photography. Plan for better outcomes by ensuring your whiskers (and head hair) have had a good cleansing and conditioning. If you use a styling product, keep in mind that brands which cement your hairstyle in place will be the most difficult to fix. Volumizers are helpful in these conditions because hair is allowed to ‘fluff out’, adding density to the beard look on days that stiff breezes blow. Plan on excusing nature for being intrusive; unless you’re in a severe storm a breeze’s influence can actually bring life to the two-dimensional moment.

Another hairy issue arises whenever guys wonder when the bald spots will fill in. One piece of advice is ‘get older fast.’ Ask any elder a generation or so beyond your age and they (and their spouses and significants) will confirm that everything tends to descend on the human body. For men, head hair thins and hair appears higher on the cheeks, along the ear’s perimeter, and in places below there where it never seemed possible. Many a middle aged man shared with me that they were challenged when it came to hair maturity until they got an extra 20 years beyond the typical legal drink age (21 is average in North America). One former associate not only got the beard of his dreams by his late 30s, he also had a shag rug body from the neck down. There are such things as late bloomers!

Those Irish Whiskers:
Of Beards, Beers and Irish Pubs
by Bill Alley, Broadcast Host, Wordsmith and Beard Advocate

Ah, the endless possibilities of food and drink. In March, we’re all conditioned to think Irish. Like many cultures, Ireland has managed to make an industry out of food and drink, folklore and dance, tourism and trade. It does help that millions emigrated from the land of the potato (and the fright of its blight 100+ years ago) to Western Hemispheric shores (and Australia / New Zealand) to become part of the tapestry of citizenry. It also seems fitting to dedicate this moment to Charles Stewart Parnell, Irish-Anglo statesman from the 19th Century responsible for the roots of Irish autonomy, and referred to as ‘the un-crowned King of Ireland’.

Consider the food angle: people leave homelands to go to greener pastures. And yet, in the cycle of life, home gets green again and beckons the sons and daughters to reconnect, along with the rest of us. Reconnection is bedrock at an Irish Pub. The Beard Boom has definitely seen its growth in such establishments. Relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere and dining fare that always delights in its simplicity and tradition are two superb reasons (beyond the socializing) that it’s very hard not to have a good time. We visit a local establishment on occasions where pub style fish & chips are as good as those I’d get back in southern New England, and our business lunch ends up a beard bonanza.

If you can spot a pub with the right Irish motif and beard happily highlighted within, chances are you’ll get friendly and make the place your own. Boston and New York City are the USA’s top two metroplexes with strong Irish makeup, and since I’m originally from Cape Cod, Liam Maguire’s location in downtown Falmouth, MA (a few miles from the Martha’s Vineyard Ferry and always packed to the gills) makes its mark as a well recognized beard/beer/dining spot with a big extra: Liam is an accomplished musician with four CDs to his credit, and he’s big on the Gaelic entertainment there.

However, true Irishmen (and beer fans) would never be satisfied without a pilgrimage to Ireland. Being a contributor for 5 years now to TripAdvisor, that makes perfect sense. So, a quick search allowed for the all-inclusive excursion in the perfect location to make the cherished elements align—Ireland’s West Coast city of Galway. One fellow writer at TripAdvisor has become celebrated for his knowledge of the area and the right as rain establishments: Craic and Cultur is a business designed to place all the right connections for what many say is an incredible experience. John Byrne, the owner, also is attired with full beard, and his collection of photos just might get some flight connections going on a quick jet to Dublin. In their hands you get pubs—plural—and the day and nightlife of a city described as Bohemian in nature, relaxed and festive. A pint, bar songs and dancing could be the pinnacle of getaways. The beard-foam on facial hair adds to the fun.