This incredible facial hair not only captured hearts but also secured his place in history, as he held the record for the longest beard ever worn in France. Legend has it that Louis was already shaving by the age of 12, but his razor blade couldn’t keep up with his rapid beard growth. By the time he was 14, his beard had already reached a staggering 50 centimeters (19.6 inches) in length. From then on, it was just a matter of letting it grow to monstrous proportions. His impressive beard made him a popular photographic model from the late 19th century to the very beginning of the 20th century. During this time, dozens of different editions of postcards featuring him were published, immortalizing his unique appearance for generations to come. Louis Coulon was born in Nièvre in 1826, in the village of Vandenesse, where he followed in his father François Coulon’s footsteps, becoming a metallurgist and mold founder like him. Louis, like his father François, began his career at the iron foundry of the Châtillon company in Commentry and Neuves-Maisons. He also served as a union official there for a time. Later, he moved on to work at the Saint-Jacques factories in Montluçon, where he would spend decades honing his craft. His commitment to his work earned him the nickname “dean of metallurgists,” a title bestowed upon him by the daily newspaper Le Petit Journal, which wrote in 1905 that he had worked as a metallurgist for 67 years. Throughout his life, Louis was known for sporting the world’s longest beard, averaging around 3 meters in length and reaching an impressive 3.35 meters by 1908. His fame began in the mid-19th century when he met Emperor Napoleon III, and he continued to attract attention from journalists and scientists alike until his passing, all fascinated by his extraordinary facial hair. Louis became a cultural icon of sorts, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as his image graced countless postcards across France. These postcards solidified his status as a notable figure, immortalized in the popular medium of the time. On January 10, 1889, The Journal of Political and Literary Debates wrote an article about monsieur Coulon: “Coulon is 1.59 m tall, when he walks he has to support his beard with his hand; he lets it go down to the feet, then raises it on his bent right arm and the beard falls on the other side lower than the knee. When he wraps it around his neck, it looks like one of those big boas that are so fashionable at the moment. We wonder if his beard hinders him in his work. But Louis Coulon found a way. He wraps his beard in a sort of mattress, placed on his chest, under his shirt, and in this way is not encumbered in his work. “ The same year, on February 24, he appeared on the cover page of the Journal Illustré. By then, he had a 3.35 meter beard, which he would wash in the waters of the Cher, the river which crosses Montluçon.
(Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons / French Public Archives). Notify me of new posts by email.
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