Atomic Shave

Source: Newsweek - Mar 18, 1957

Posted By: Alex - Thu Sep 29, 2016 - Comments (6)
Category: 1950s, Hair and Hairstyling

Akmo Hair Grower

Unlike most patent remedies, there is no information that I can find for Akmo. I wonder what ingredients were in it.

Original ad here.

I assume it could be safely used with this product.



Second ad here.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Sep 28, 2016 - Comments (0)
Category: Patent Medicines, Nostrums and Snake Oil, 1920s, Hair and Hairstyling

Mystery Illustration 30

[Click to enlarge]

Which 60s rock band is this?

The answer is here. (Page 16)

Or after the jump.






More in extended >>

Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 09, 2016 - Comments (0)
Category: Music, 1960s, Face and Facial Expressions, Hair and Hairstyling

Mystery Illustration 29

It seems as if the ad agency could not quite settle on one model for their spokesperson for this product. (Maybe #2 and #4 are the same guy?)

In any case, what was this hirsute fellow pitching? Underwear? Soap? Cars? Cigarettes?

The answer is here.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 27, 2016 - Comments (6)
Category: Advertising, 1970s, Hair and Hairstyling

The High School Hair-Do Code

In the 1940s, American High School girls used hair ribbons to send coded messages about their availability for mating. From Life Magazine - May 15, 1944:




You can also tell by the look in her eyes that Ann Mitchell was "out to get herself a man."

Posted By: Alex - Sat Aug 13, 2016 - Comments (4)
Category: 1940s, Hair and Hairstyling

Follies of the Madmen #285

Wait a minute--I'm confused by the graphics. Does this product come from outer space?

Posted By: Paul - Tue Jun 14, 2016 - Comments (6)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Spaceflight, Astronautics, and Astronomy, 1950s, Hair and Hairstyling

Caffeinated Shampoo

The Wall Street Journal reports that one of the latest things in hair care is caffeinated shampoo. The buzz is that the caffeine stimulates hair growth, though too much caffeine might have the opposite effect.



Add this to the list of caffeinated products we've reported on here at WU. We now have (in addition to the shampoo) caffeinated peanut butter, inhaler, body spray, and soap.

Posted By: Alex - Wed May 04, 2016 - Comments (6)
Category: Drugs, Hair and Hairstyling

Janitors

George was rocking the spit curls.

Source: The Whisper — The 1950 Pardeeville High School yearbook (Pardeeville, Wisconsin).


via Hair Hall of Fame

Posted By: Alex - Mon Feb 22, 2016 - Comments (5)
Category: 1950s, Hair and Hairstyling

Christmas Tune Co-opted

Curse you, Halo Shampoo, for tricking me into thinking I was going to hear a nice rendition of "Jingle Bells."

Also, smart move you made, covering up the majority of the hair in your hair-centric commercial with hats.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Dec 16, 2015 - Comments (10)
Category: Holidays, Advertising, 1950s, Hair and Hairstyling

Her Hair Turned Green

1948: Mrs. Dorothy Dix of Gloucester, England sued her hairdresser, complaining that after getting a permanent wave from them in July 1946, her normally brown hair turned green. A subsequent effort to bleach her hair back to a normal color worsened the situation, causing it to turn a lighter shade of green, become frizzled, and blistering her scalp.

In fact, her hair was not simply green. Various witnesses offered different descriptions of it, saying it was "like a rainbow with green predominating," "like a dirty sheepskin rug streaked with green," "frizzled like a golliwog," and "streaked with vivid red, brown, green and straw."

The court awarded Mrs. Dix 157 pounds ten shillings in general damages and 12 pounds one shilling and one penny in special damages.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any photos of Mrs. Dix and her green hair.

(left) The Ottawa Journal - Feb 4, 1949; (right) The Winnipeg Tribune - Dec 22, 1948

Posted By: Alex - Tue Dec 01, 2015 - Comments (6)
Category: 1940s, Hair and Hairstyling