Mrs. Thompson has some Celebrated Patent Waves (or rather "Waves") for you, so that you will make the best-dressed list in New York in 1882. It does not look false and wig-like (although it is in fact false and wig-like) - and is perfect for those who need more abundant waves and do not wish to ruin what hair they still possess.As I was Googling for more information, what do you think I found? Why, I'd already written about dear Mrs. Mary Thompson back in January of this year. The subject of that post was her patented medicated gloves. There are some rather good links over there concerning her inventions and those of her husband, Charles, who invented a Crimping Pin to put waves in whatever hair you might already have.
Basically, if you wanted wavy hair of any kind in New York City in the 1880s (to say nothing of medicated gloves) you knew to get right over to the Thompson establishment at 52 East 14th Street, wallet in hand.
Or did you? Next time, we will be visiting Mrs. Thompson's rival and her very oddly named rival hairpiece.
[This advertisement is from Peterson's Magazine (volumes 81-2, 1882, p. 325).]
5 comments:
Great pic, I wish I could have read what they wrote about it though.
Looks like a creepy growing caterpillar. I might pass on the waves. My hair is stick straight, but there are limits :)
Mom - It was a tiny ad, sorry I couldn't get it any bigger!
Amanda - It does look rather odd. I wonder what it looked like on an actual head.
I don't know why, but this reminds me of the David Bowie album "Heroes". Not Heroes, mind, but "Heroes" with quotation marks.
I'm sure that in some strange way this is very apt and telling, but I can't think howso for the life of me!
I've seen a lot of young girls wearing this style today! www.satisfiedsole.com
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