Inside The Creepy History Of Fake Eyelashes

Initially, needle-free false lashes were generally human hair attached to a bit of gauze or other fabric that was then glued to the eyelid. The glue, however, didn't adhere very well. And while several people had been using them for decades by this point, false lashes made to be glued onto the lid weren't patented until 1911, when Anna Taylor received her patent for her product. 

Then, in 1916, lashes were broadcast to the masses when American film director D. W. Griffith wanted the star actress of his movie "Intolerance," Seena Owen, to have "eyelashes brushing her cheeks." In order to achieve this, he asked a wigmaker to glue fake eyelashes to her face. But since the standard glue used for this process wasn't great, as we've mentioned, the wigmaker used spirit gum as glue. This product was not meant to be put near the eyes, and so, as fellow actress Lilian Gish once recalled, Owen once "arrived at the studio with her eyes swollen nearly shut" (via Racked). 

Sounds like a good time.