Nina Lawson
designer
- July 27, 1926
- September 9, 2008
- 82 years
- pernicious anaemia
About Nina Lawson
Nina Lawson, 82, British wigmaker for the Metropolitan Opera, pernicious anaemia.
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Full Biography
|Nina Lawson (27 July 1926 – 9 September 2008) was a Scottish wigmaker who ran the Metropolitan Opera wig department from 1956 to 1987. She was responsible for cleaning up to 750 wigs a week in her early tenure, from every chorus member's wig to those of stars including Birgit Nilsson, Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, Beverly Sills, and Plácido Domingo.
Life and career
Lawson grew up in Forth, South Lanarkshire in Scotland, and attended Stowe Hairdressing College in Glasgow. She began her professional career as a theatrical hair-stylist at the Carl Rosa Opera Company in London. She then worked for the Sadler's Wells Opera and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada. She was hired by Rudolf Bing, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera, in October 1956 and left Stratford. The Met moved from renting wigs to purchasing a large inventory.
At the end of the 1987–88 Met season, Lawson retired to Ayr, Scotland. She died there of pernicious anemia on 9 September 2008, aged 82.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_Lawson
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 28, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Nina Lawson's archived record and the sources above.
1.On what date was Nina Lawson born?
- A.27 July 1926correct
- B.27 July 1920
- C.9 September 2008
- D.15 August 1926
The biography states that Nina Lawson was born on 27 July 1926.
Source: introduction
2.Where did Nina Lawson grow up?
- A.Forth, South Lanarkshirecorrect
- B.Stratford, Ontario
- C.London, England
- D.Glasgow, Scotland
Nina Lawson grew up in the town of Forth, South Lanarkshire, in Scotland.
Source: life and career
3.At which institution did Nina Lawson receive her education?
- A.Stratford Drama Academy
- B.Stowe Hairdressing Collegecorrect
- C.London School of Wigmaking
- D.Royal Scottish Academy
Nina Lawson attended Stowe Hairdressing College, which is located in Glasgow.
Source: life and career
4.Which company served as the starting point for Nina Lawson's professional career?
- A.Carl Rosa Opera Companycorrect
- B.Stratford Shakespeare Festival
- C.Metropolitan Opera
- D.Sadler's Wells Opera
Nina Lawson began her professional career as a theatrical hair-stylist at the Carl Rosa Opera Company in London.
Source: life and career
5.In what year did Nina Lawson begin working for the Metropolitan Opera?
- A.1956correct
- B.1987
- C.1958
- D.1965
Rudolf Bing hired Nina Lawson to work at the Metropolitan Opera in October 1956.
Source: life and career
6.How many wigs was Nina Lawson responsible for cleaning weekly during her early tenure at the Met?
- A.1000
- B.750correct
- C.500
- D.250
During her early tenure at the Metropolitan Opera, Nina Lawson was responsible for cleaning up to 750 wigs a week.
Source: introduction
7.Which individual hired Nina Lawson for her position at the Metropolitan Opera?
- A.Luciano Pavarotti
- B.Birgit Nilsson
- C.Joan Sutherland
- D.Rudolf Bingcorrect
Rudolf Bing, who was the General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera, hired Nina Lawson in October 1956.
Source: life and career
8.Before joining the Metropolitan Opera, where did Nina Lawson work in Canada?
- A.Stratford Shakespeare Festivalcorrect
- B.Vancouver Arts Center
- C.Toronto Opera House
- D.Montreal Theatre Guild
Nina Lawson worked for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada, before being hired by the Metropolitan Opera.
Source: life and career
9.Which opera star is specifically mentioned as having her wig maintained by Nina Lawson?
- A.Renée Fleming
- B.Montserrat Caballé
- C.Maria Callas
- D.Beverly Sillscorrect
Beverly Sills is listed in the text as one of the stars whose wigs were cleaned by Nina Lawson.
Source: introduction
10.What change did the Metropolitan Opera implement regarding their wig collection after hiring Nina Lawson?
- A.They started renting wigs instead of buying
- B.They stopped using wigs entirely
- C.They outsourced all wig production to London
- D.They moved from renting to purchasing a large inventorycorrect
After Nina Lawson was hired, the Metropolitan Opera moved from renting wigs to purchasing a large inventory.
Source: life and career
11.When did Nina Lawson conclude her career at the Metropolitan Opera?
- A.At the end of the 1987–88 seasoncorrect
- B.In the autumn of 2008
- C.At the end of the 1956–57 season
- D.At the end of the 1975–76 season
Nina Lawson retired from her position at the Metropolitan Opera at the end of the 1987–88 season.
Source: life and career
12.To which city did Nina Lawson retire after leaving the Metropolitan Opera?
- A.London, England
- B.Forth, Scotland
- C.Ayr, Scotlandcorrect
- D.Glasgow, Scotland
After her retirement, Nina Lawson moved to Ayr, Scotland.
Source: life and career
13.What was the cause of Nina Lawson's death?
- A.Old age
- B.Pneumonia
- C.Heart failure
- D.Pernicious anemiacorrect
Nina Lawson passed away in Ayr, Scotland, due to pernicious anemia.
Source: life and career
14.At what age did Nina Lawson pass away?
- A.82correct
- B.87
- C.76
- D.90
Nina Lawson was 82 years old at the time of her death on 9 September 2008.
Source: life and career
15.Which of these famous opera singers did Nina Lawson manage wigs for?
- A.Leontyne Price
- B.Enrico Caruso
- C.Cecilia Bartoli
- D.Plácido Domingocorrect
The text explicitly names Plácido Domingo as one of the stars whose wigs Nina Lawson was responsible for cleaning.
Source: introduction
16.Which of these professional roles did Nina Lawson hold at the Carl Rosa Opera Company?
- A.Wig department head
- B.Theatrical hair-stylistcorrect
- C.Costume designer
- D.General Manager
Nina Lawson began her professional career working as a theatrical hair-stylist at the Carl Rosa Opera Company.
Source: life and career
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