Victorian Ladies’ Hairdressers
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Given Victorian women typically grew their hair long and wore it up, they occasionally had use for Victorian ladies’ hairdressers. Sure, these hairdressers gave the women a trim now and then, but most of their work was in styling lengthy tresses for special occasions.
Readers of Regency Romance know ladies’ maids dressed the lady’s hair, styled it for supper in her own home or for an evening at the opera. Well and good enough for all ladies’ maids to be adequately versed in styling a lady’s hair.
But in America, in the 19th century, how did one become a hairdresser? Just by knowing the ways and means?
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TRAINING
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Note the Hairdressing training offered in the 19th Century United States:
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St. Louis Barber College trains barbers and ladies hairdressers. The Decatur Herald of Decatur, Illinois, on September 4, 1895.
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PARLORS and SALONS
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This section contains many advertisements from Victorian Ladies’ Hairdressers. Some ads list services or specialty. Others emphasize their willingness to make house calls and dress a woman’s hair in her home. Many of the parlors and salons offered complementary services like manicuring. The clippings are labeled as to publication newspaper and date. Each is listed in order by date, oldest to most recent.
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Detroit Free Press of Detroit, Michigan, on November 7, 1880.
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Oakland Tribune of Oakland, California, on June 19, 1883.
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The New York Times of New York, New York on October 11, 1885.
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Los Angeles Herald of Los Angeles, California, on November 13, 1886.
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Chicago Daily Tribune of Chicago, Illinois on March 11, 1888.
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Lawrence Daily Journal of Lawrence, Kansas, on June 29, 1888.
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San Francisco Chronicle of San Francisco, California, on March 9, 1890.
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San Francisco Chronicle of San Francisco, California, on March 9, 1890.
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The Salt Lake Tribune of Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 12, 1890. Note the “baldness cured” and “dealer in human hair” notations. I wonder if curing baldness had anything to do with the proprietor selling the woman a wig?
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Osawatomie Graphic of Osawatomie, Kansas, on June 3, 1893. Note that this Kansas establishment (1893) is a barber and hairdresser, rolled into one, with “Ladies Hairdressing a Specialty”.
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The Black Hills Daily Times of Deadwood, South Dakota, on June 27, 1896. Note that this Deadwood establishment (Ideal Bath House) offers services to men and women, including Ladies’ Hairdressing.
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The San Francisco Call of San Francisco, California, on July 5, 1896. Note that this Ladies’ Hairdressing Parlor offers Manicuring Services for both ladies and gents (the men cost twice as much).
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Chicago Eagle of Chicago, Illinois on October 5, 1901. Note the advertisement of electric machine that dries the hair in five minutes.
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The Colfax Gazette of Colfax, Washington, on December 20, 1901.
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Updated July 2019
Copyright © 2016 Kristin Holt LC
