Beethoven's Hair

May 18, 2013 12:34 AM

On March 26th, 1827 Ludwig Van Beethoven died in Vienna. The day after, a twelve year old boy took a lock of his hair as a souvenir. 167 years later the hair was sold at an auction in London. Its new owners were two Americans, Ira Brilliant and Che Guevera. Between those dates the lock of hair undertook an extraordinary historical odyssey. From hand to hand, from country to country, and from century to century. This is the story of that journey.

Please note the site is haunted - and make sure you summon the ghost.

posted by 23 (15 comments total)

I think some news outlets had a different first name--I don't think it was truly Che Guevera, but one news outlet ran with that typo. (I posted this to reddit last month.)
posted by Schmucko at 12:58 AM on May 18, 2013

Here it is listed as Alfredo Guevera. Of course maybe he goes as Che.
posted by Schmucko at 12:59 AM on May 18, 2013

I don't think they're the same person.
posted by maximum sensing at 3:47 AM on May 18, 2013

Sorry to be a grump, and no one loves Beethoven more than I, and the story is fascinating... but does anyone else find the site itself extremely annoying?
posted by anguspodgorny at 5:08 AM on May 18, 2013 [6 favorites]

Here's hoping a movie is made where it eventually ends up in the hands of Samuel L. Jackson
posted by samsara at 6:02 AM on May 18, 2013 [3 favorites]

I don't think it was truly Che Guevera

"Unlikely sir, as they spell and pronounce their names differently."
posted by Sys Rq at 6:25 AM on May 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Why are we getting stuck on the whole Che Guevara thing when the other dude is named something as awesome as Ira Brilliant?
posted by elsietheeel at 6:53 AM on May 18, 2013

Ira brilliant! Youra stupid!
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 8:17 AM on May 18, 2013 [3 favorites]

Here's hoping a movie is made where it eventually ends up in the hands of Samuel L. Jackson

On the contrary, it should be the central plot point in the next movie in the National Treasure franchise.
posted by elizardbits at 9:55 AM on May 18, 2013

Well that's irritating.

I'm going to assume most of this is invented as some kind of post-modern art thing and I can't tell what's true and what's bullshit. And that annoys me as much as the working of the site.

Hell, I'm not even positive any more that Beethoven is dead.

your favorite web site sucks
posted by Naberius at 11:05 AM on May 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Is there a way to make the text larger? I'm interested in the story, but I'm having trouble reading it there.
posted by chrono_rabbit at 11:30 AM on May 18, 2013

I'm interested in the story, but I'm having trouble reading it there.
The book has been out for a while. I enjoyed it
posted by bunglin jones at 5:55 AM on May 19, 2013

I remember when my father-in-law, Tom Wendel, said he was going to buy (along with others...and sheesh, not Che Guevera, Al) a piece of Beethoven's hair and donate to the Beethoven Center, of which he was a founder.

And I was like, "Dad, please don't do that." At the time, I was thinking, "Please don't blow your grandchildren's college tuition for this. Please."

But he did.

And the rest is history.

And a really shitty website.
posted by kinetic at 10:31 AM on May 19, 2013

The hair is on display at at the Beethoven Center which is located in Room 580 in the special collections area on the fifth floor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, San Jose.
posted by mdoar at 2:33 PM on May 20, 2013

You guys did see the haunting game, right? With instructions like "play the musical notes to open Beethoven's Tomb", "save Beethoven from his father's clutches", and voiced narration like "Save me, butterfly!", it's quite the experience.

I know the site is awful. Appallingly, horribly awful. The awfulness and the earnestness and the inherent interest of the story all mixed together make a fascinating mess.

The thing about Che Guevera appears to just be intentionally misleading copy.
posted by 23 at 6:11 PM on May 20, 2013