The appointment was to visit 17 and a half feet of beard that once belonged to Hans Nielsen Langseth.

Langseth is the world record holder for the longest beard ever grown, which measured 18 and half feet at the time of his death in 1927. After his death, the record-breaking beard was cut off, leaving a foot on Langseth’s chin. The rest was kept by the family. In 1967, it was donated to the Smithsonian. It was on display in the Anthropology Department until 1999. For the last 24 years, it has been stored in the Smithsonian basement, where only a select few have seen it.

On Oct. 20, Backer became one of the rare few to see the beard in person. He was granted permission because Langseth is his great-great-grandfather.

“Growing up in New Ulm I was told about my great-great-grandfather and that he was in the Guinness Book of World Records,” Backer said, “but as a kid, I wasn’t sure the story was true.”

Hans Nielsen Langseth, showing off his record setting beard, that measured 18.5 feet. Langseth's great-great grandson Dan Backer recently visited the beard, which is stored at the Smithsonian. Photo provided by Dan Backer.

The story of a record-breaking ancestor with a nearly 19-foot beard seemed more like a myth than a real man. It was not until the 3rd Grade that Backer learned the story was no myth. Through a school book program, he ordered a copy of the Guinness Book to see if his great-grandfather was really in it. Once the book arrived, he found Hans Langseth, along with a photo of him and his 18.5-foot beard. The entry in the Guinness Book also said the beard was donated to the Smithsonian in 1967.

“As I kid I always wanted to see the beard,” Backer said. Fast forward to this October, Backer and his wife Jeannie took a road trip to Washington, D.C. to see it.

He set up an appointment with the Smithsonian anthropology department. Since Backer is a relative he was permitted to visit. Upon arrival, Sabrina Sholts, Curator of Biological Anthropology, met the Backers and took them down into the lower levels of the Smithsonian building. The basement features thousands of items not currently on display. Backer described the experience as if he was walking through the warehouse at the end of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

Before he could view the beard, Backer said he needed to sign the log book. The logbook included 25 signatures from other relatives who had visited the beard in the last 20 years.

“I looked at my wife and said ‘See, I am not the only crazy one,'” Backer said.

Before traveling to visit the beard, Backer had told several people about this pilgrimage. Everyone he told had one of two reactions. Backer said they either found the beard story “cool” or “creepy.”

Upon seeing the beard, Backer was surprised to find himself having an emotional reaction.

“I teared up,” he said. Even weeks later, he still gets choked up thinking about the experience of seeing his great-great-grandfather’s beard. Backer had heard about his ancestors many times. He would tell people about his ancestors as an ice breaker at social gatherings. But seeing the beard made it real.

“It isn’t just legend, it is true,” he said.

The beard featured several shades of color. The tip of the beard was dark, but as he aged it grew lighter. Langseth had dark hair when he started growing a beard at age 19 while living in Norway.

Backer said the reason his ancestor started growing the beard was to win the longest beard contest. It is unknown if won the contest, but for his remaining 62 years, he never shaved it.

Two years after starting the beard, Langseth immigrated to the United States. He initially settled in Minnesota. Over the years many stories and photos were documenting Hans Langseth’s beard. There are photos of young women using his beard as a jump rope. For a time, Langseth traveled with the Ringling Bros. Circus showing off the beard. According to family stories, he left the circus because kids kept pulling on his beard to check if it was fake.

Langseth died in Barney, North Dakota in 1927. He was living on a wheat farm at the time. Backer said he could see kernels of wheat stuck in the beard.

Backer is hopeful his ancestor’s legend will live on for another generation. He is confident the record will never be broken as many people would not put up with the hassle of a long beard.

“In today’s world, I can’t see how it would be broken,” he said. “To grow something that long, he had to start at age 19.”

Backer himself is typically clean-shaven but said he was inspired to grow a beard for the Smithsonian visit.

“I felt the need to have something when I went there,” he said. His facial hair is currently the longest it has ever been, but admits he will never come close to taking the record from great-great-grandfather.

Backer only spent 10 minutes with his great-great grandfather’s beard, but it is an experience he will never forget. He is uncertain if he’ll ever see the beard again, but has encouraged his kids to visit it someday.

“How many people get the opportunity to see something of their great-great-grandfather that still around that was part of him,” he said.