Danderine Grows Hair

As far as I know, Jeanette Wallace's only claim to fame was appearing in an ad for Danderine Hair-Growing Remedy. The ad ran in numerous magazines and newspapers between 1906 and 1908.

She claimed that Danderine made her hair "fairly crawl out of my scalp"... which sounds like it could be the premise for a horror story.

Incidentally, according to Google maps, her address in New York is now occupied by a noodle shop.

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Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Posted By: Alex - Wed Jul 08, 2020
Category: Patent Medicines, Nostrums and Snake Oil | 1900s | Hair and Hairstyling

Comments

She had a massive opportunity to ramp up that fame by doing a Lady Godiva thing. Too bad.

Posted by Virtual in Carnate on 07/08/20 at 07:01 AM

Look for "Medusa's Coil" by Zealia Bishop. A murderous set of tresses braided together and looking for victims. She was a regular collaborator with H.P.Lovecraft.

Posted by eddi on 07/08/20 at 08:26 AM

For an alternate title, how about "The Hairball That Ate Cinncinati"?

Posted by KDP on 07/08/20 at 11:32 AM

I would be interested in the ingredients.

Posted by Judy on 07/08/20 at 05:03 PM

In the years before WWI, massively long, voluminous hair for women was the height of fashion, and young women with very long hair could attain a certain celebrity. But when the war started, women began cutting their hair as they enlisted and worked on the home front. Then the Twenties arrived with bobs for flappers, and the rest is history.

Posted by Brian on 07/09/20 at 07:06 PM

I like how you could pay in Silver OR Stamps.

Posted by John on 07/10/20 at 10:14 AM

@eddi: and I do believe I've read a horror story like this told from the perspective of the... owner? wearer?... of the hair, though I could not tell you where or by whom. But surely there must be several.

Posted by Richard Bos on 07/11/20 at 09:08 AM

@John -- It cost them ten cents to mail it, so it was easiest if you just sent a stamp for them to use. The 'silver' was because they were willing to supply the stamp if you paid for it, but they wouldn't mess around counting nickles and pennies. Dimes only!

I wonder if Cousin Itt was a victim, I mean customer.

Posted by Phideaux on 07/11/20 at 07:30 PM

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