March Madness
11th Anniversary of The Redhead Project Part Two | The Fab Six: The White Album, Easter Haiku
Last month Part One of our two-part 11th Anniversary issue featured five of the 11 fabulous redheaded alumni who share their updated stories: who are they now? where are they now? If you missed it, read their five features here!
The celebration continues this month with a serialized introduction to the remaining Fab Six. But first: here’s why this issue is a little different than what I promised on February 29.
What do March media showers bring? Spring photoshoots!
This month brought a different kind of March madness than the kind associated in the United States with shooting hoops and winning brackets.
In last month’s Leap Day issue I mentioned The Guardian’s wonderful feature on The Redhead Project which talks about the project as a community. Since then, Keith and I have heard from press and interested redheads from five continents: Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.
We were invited to appear via Zoom (alas, not in person!) on ABC Australia’s Morning Breakfast program on March 9th to talk about what drew Keith to redheads and what makes redheads tick. Watch the segment here!
We sent the above images for the program to choose from (some of these were shown on screen as we talked,) and anchor Johanna Nicholson asked about the backstories behind two portraits, both taken in Savannah, GA:
Alaina Newsome made a shirt for our photoshoot; it reads “God Gave Me Red Hair Because He Knew I Needed A Warning Label.” A cancer research business manager by day, Alaina has a side embroidery business, Little Black Dog Shoppe, named for her beloved little black dog Charlie, who was another prop in her photoshoot. Keith asked her to bring some caution tape to the shoot. The results? Arresting.
Camille Rogers’ passion for inspiring others as a redhead, professor, and an ovarian cancer patient moved her to contact us in December 2017. “I would like to participate to inspire others. My red hair has defined me my entire life,” she shared.
Her love for life and passion for the project left an indelible mark. Camille’s portrait was voted by followers of The Redhead Project on social media into one of the decks of playing cards we created. Camille lost her four-and-a-half-year battle in September 2021. And when I heard this a year later, in tribute to Camille I set up this fundraising page for ovarian cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City (you can still donate!):http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/406byDec31ForCamille
Lynne Kelleher wrote this fun piece for the Sunday Independent and the below article for the Sunday Times (in print only):
The project was also featured by PetaPixel, Ginger Parrot (for the third time!) and AI-AP|Pro Photo Daily.
One especially delightful March surprise? Hearing from Jacky Colliss Harvey, author of the best-selling RED: A History of the Redhead, who is working on an updated and revised edition to be published in 2025, ten years on from its original publication. “The idea of a redhead community and the steps redheads have taken to take control of their image are big themes in the book,” she shared. We look forward to meeting her and discussing this further over tea when she is next in New York!
Heather brought Jacky’s book to her Atlanta photoshoot in spring 2016!
Below is just a sampling of the astounding outpouring of heartfelt messages (anonymously included here) that we’ve received from redheads as a result of the recent press: quotes, images from the project they’ve find inspiring (and why), and a glimpse at the diversity of redheads (and their stories) we’ve heard from— 11 of each, in keeping with the 11th Anniversary theme.
ON BEING A REDHEAD AND PARTICIPATING
“As soon as I was old enough to understand words, I realized that being a redhead meant being ‘different.’ The attention made me uncomfortable. I went from being ashamed of being ‘the girl with the orange hair,’ to being proud of my redheadedness, of my own uniqueness, even when I heard remarks such as ‘watch out for redheads. They are trouble.’ Finally, [at 60] I appreciate and enjoy being who I am in all with all my strengths and weaknesses and contradictions. Once you’re a redhead, you’re a redhead for life.”
“I love the whole idea of the project. Redheads are now starting to be more positive about who they are. When I was growing up sometimes I wished I didn't have red hair. In my younger years I was teased for the red hair and freckles, actually dating myself, one of the nicknames I was called was ‘Freckle Faced Strawberry,’ a popular drink mix at the time. No one in my immediate family had red hair so I had my sister believing I was adopted... she was very gullible, lol. But many times people would comment what a beautiful color my hair was. So having red hair had its ups and downs. But in my adult life I came to love my hair color and realize how special it was to be a redhead. That being said when my daughter had her first baby she was a redhead, and I was over the moon.None of my 3 kids had red hair but I had always wished for it. So her and I seem to have this special bonding and I think it's because we are part of the Red Head Club.”
“I am a natural redhead but as I've got older the white in it makes me look blonde except underneath at the back where I still have red hair. It's been strange losing being recognised as a redhead - I still very much have that identity. So being part of your project would be about reclaiming redheadedness for myself.”
“My hair has been a big part of my life and the many affects of being a Redhead! While in the past it wasn't much fun being a redhead I now celebrate being part of a unique group of people.”
“I’ve recently discovered and become quickly obsessed with the redhead project, as a redhead who’s often felt like there are few people [who] look like, act like or feel like me, this is amazing.”
“I am an orange-ginger redhead with short hair (quite absent from your photo gallery I noticed); having my picture taken would be a small revenge for the many times I have been teased as a child; and it would also be a nice homage to my grandmother, who had wonderful red hair (Tiziano, so much darker than mine) but lost them all and had to wear a wig for 20 years.”
“I’ve looked through your portrait gallery and had a great giggle. So many of them remind me of me! The blue eyes! The bone structure, the defiant poses. Wow! The little girls with red head dollies! My mom bought me a redhead doll with straight red hair and I still have ‘Suzzie.’ I am 70 so teasing and being picked out were definitely my experience;. in response around [ages] 8-11, I sunburned my nose often as I could to try to peel off the freckles which were NOT an asset in 50s or 60s let me tell you! (No skin cancer so far, mercifully.)”
“As a strawberry blond who received many 'carrot top' comments in my youth, I just wanted to send you a note to say thanks for launching and continuing the Redhead Project. I've looked at all the photographs and they are impressive in the diversity of stories they tell.”
“I used to hate my hair colour as I was the only ginger at school. As I grew older I grew to love my hair and it was my most defining feature. Something that made me ME. Sadly I lost my hair to chemotherapy last year aged 31. I struggled to find a wig that looked like me. It was really hard to source one. My hair is growing back since chemo. But it’s lost its usual colour which is something I think they don’t think to tell redheads. I’d like to take part so I can feel beautiful again.”
“I was the only ginger in my class, in my school, at Ballet, in the building, at the party or anywhere for that matter. We're about 1 to 2 % of the world population and in the Brazil I grew up, almost a novelty and with absolutely no representation. I guess you could say I want a sense of belonging, you know? This is my crowd. We’re all gingers and we’re proud of it.”
“I am from Ireland and just reading about you in our national paper. I have 3 kids and one has red hair, fascinated that only 2% of world population is red. [It’s] great bullying isn't as bad as it used to be for children. My daughter is 10 and very proud of her hair. Thanks for helping to show its beauty.”
“I think I have a unique look that would suit many of the aesthetics showcased in the Redhead project, as well as open avenues of creative and photographic potential. As an actor/writer by trade, I am relaxed in front of the camera and will not hesitate to suggest ideas myself.”
ON IMAGES AND THEMES THAT RESONATE
“The [image] that I love the most is the two-year-old bat girl because redheads truly do have superpowers and every redheads girl or boy should grow up believing in that and not feeling ostracised because of the colour of their hair, but instead rare, unique.”
I am very intrigued by your photographs, how creative and inspiring and most of all how FUN these portraits are! My favorite is the portrait of the little boy dressed as a soldier. It seems like it is a photograph from another era and yet it is so alive and vibrant and slightly sad. There is something very moving about the look in the boy's eyes and in the heavy metal helmet covering over his red hair.
“While I admire the many extremes of the redhead models shots, my eye is always more drawn to the slightly more subtle. I particularly loved this one, which I felt captured the essence of the models character without openly disclosing his profession. It was only when I saw the second photo of him holding a pocket copy of King Lear that my guesses were confirmed.”
“I like the ones where the hair is swishing around a lot as I used to have really long hair and I have photos of my hair swishing around like that in the cornish wind but my hair is so short now I can't do that.”
“I also like the ones with no real props as the focus then is just on the beauty of the hair.”
“I also like the ones with the sunflowers as those are some of my favourite flowers I think because they look a bit like me you know in that sort of oh does your garden look like or does your dog look the owner kind of way.”
“I also like the one of the woman floating as I love swimming and also sunbathing and I think that the idea that redheads don't like the sun is an attitude that could do with being shifted.”
“I like the studio portraits a lot. Especially the women. Tend to navigate towards them. I like the texture and light of the portraits and the humor they carry.”
“I also like a lot the "hair" images, lots of hair, almost no face because so much of our identity (for better or worse) is carried out by the color of our hair.”
“I like to keep it simple, but maybe not.”
“This one captures everything and looks like a Rockwell painting.”
A GLIMPSE OF THE DIVERSITY OF REDHEADS WE’VE HEARD FROM
a nephrologist, head of nephrology and kidney transplant department, surfer and mom in Brazil
a redhead YouTuber and fellow photographer in Los Angeles
a former professional equestrian and NGO worker in the Balkans, Kazakhstan, and Ethiopia
a New York architectural, interior and landscape photographer, certified drone pilot and grandmother
A graphic designer, author, illustrator and silkscreen painter in Brussels
a musician, actor, outdoor enthusiast, nature lover, swimmer, dancer, yogi, dreamer, person of faith, a people person and silence seeker in Ireland.
an actress in NYC who also teaches scene study
an actor/writer in London who wrote “humour is at the forefront of my personality, always on the look out for things to make people laugh.”
a New York—based artist who brings her sensibility as a sculptor into her paintings
a former professional ballet dancer and photographer/video/film editor in Rio de Janeiro
an artist, retired nurse and animal lover in Southern Ireland who mailed this illustrated card, a letter sharing her story, a book she wrote, and a few photographs from her modeling days! (pictured below)
The Fab Six: The White Album
I thought it would be fun and interesting to introduce the remaining six redheads the way Keith initially photographs redheads for the project: wearing white and an impassive expression that piques viewers’ interest and begs the question: who is this person? What makes them tick? And then the fun part begins: with a shake of the hair the personality and the props come out, as Keith peels the onion to reveal the person behind the facade.
Can you match each redhead with their description below?
when asked what kind of cake they’d be and why— the first answer? Funfetti Cake.
an aspiring Egyptologist-turned-entrepreneur
the procrastibaker
the artist, model and avid skateboarder
who once declared a year of doing whatever they wanted?
a scenester fashionista (as described by friends!)
I’ll reveal these answers and more in features of these Fab Six next month! Meet me back here on April 30.
Why white? Why The Redhead Project? What started all of this?
Keith and I get asked this a lot.
Portraits from one redheaded corporate executive’s photoshoot in early 2013 planted the seed for an idea that has evolved over 11 years and become Keith’s trademark portfolio series. Processing the executive’s simple portrait wearing a white button down Oxford against a light gray seamless backdrop, Keith thought: who is this person? And he thought, this could make an interesting series. The red hair reminded him of an article he’d recently read in National Geographic that redheads would go extinct in a hundred years. He thought: that’s it: The Redhead Project. The rest is history!
Easter Haiku
Keith posed for a silly portrait coloring eggs (with crayons) four years ago Easter Day as part of a challenge I posed to him: experience The Redhead Project on the other side of the lens for 30 days straight, each day of April. I’ve included him as an honorary redhead here.
Thanks for reading and see you back here for the Fab Six reveal on April 30!
If you are interested in being part of The Redhead Project or know someone who might be, please message me for information!
Cheers and Happy Easter to all who celebrate,
Kate