The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-14
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC ,. HAsKN. Director.
Washington, D. O.
FAMOUS HAIRDREsSER TO BE
FETED.

Washington, d. c., Aug. IA fete
in honor of the man who invented
the Marcel wave is to be held in Paris
this fall by a host of grateful hair
dressers. On this side of the water,
Marcel is simply a method of curling
the hair. In Paris, Marcel is also
personality, a famous hairdresser who
retired twenty-five years ago with a
comfortable income.
Monsieur Marcel measures up to
most of the fixed standards of great
ness as set forth in magazine articles
on successful men. He was poor and
started at the bottom of the ladder.
Some day on American financial wiz
ard is going to achieve super fame by
managing to start out in life some
where below the bottom of the ladder.
Marcel ran true to tradition, how
ever. He started out as a poor APP
prentice in a barber shop.
He further complied with American
traditions by mysteriously sensing the
line where success awaited him. He
reasoned that there should be better
prospects in the business of making
women beautiful than the prosatc
trade of making men appear civilized
This was really a remarkable con-
clusion for Marcel to reach because
the women's hairdressing business was
slumping. There was nothing start
ling. nothing very monumental about
couture STYLES and women stayed at
home and arranged their own flowing
locks.
Yet the young French apprentice
VINO was to rescue the trade from its
precar.ous situation gazed into the flu
ture and had visions or success as
ladies' coiffeur. as he drearily ran the
razor over a customers chin Even
tually fate and his iron-pawed deter
mination led the young apprentice
into Partisan hairdressing establish
ment.'
Here. again, he followed out the
rules for greatness faithfully. His first
attempt at arranging a woman's hair.
when he was 10 years old, was a total
failure. The effect was so crude that
the customer angrily took down her
hair and rearranged it herself. Mar
eel was dismissed from the shop
forthwith. Yet, from this inauspicious
debut, or rather because of it, the
young apprentice rose 10 the heights
of his art.
1t would take too long to point out
how Marcel developed almost all the
points of the great American business
hero. 1t is sufficient to say that he IS
Servation. perseverance, patience, in
itiative, diplomacy and modesty.
His Mother His Inspiration.
He was 20 years old. and engaged
in hairdressing in Paris. when he no.
t;ced the graceful wave of his moth
er's hair. He studied it admiringly
and thought with a sigh of the
haired women VINO came into
the shop to be made beautiful. The
methods of curling hair then were
tiresome and resulted often in friZ-
zled looking mops. Strands of hair
were braided or rolled in papers and
then squeezed into kinks between the
strands of hair were wrapped around
and around a hot iron.
Marcel tried to copy the rolling
curves of his mothers hair with an
IRON He had little success at first,
but as he practised he worked out a
m ethod. and dizziness and precision n
using the irons came to him.
He had the idea that waves could
be placed successfully only in soft
fluffy hair. He tried waving such
hair occasionally when he was asked
to arrange a coiffure. Then a straight
haired woman who had seen one of
these curly coiffures, came into his
shop and demanded waves. Marcel
It was not the suitable type. But the
customer had come determined to
have waves. Finally Marcel shifted
all responsibility and took up his
rons- Later the customer sailed out |
in achieving her ambition
for curls, and Marcel decided that he |
had made an important discovery. |
After that he curled all corners, and |
the Stralghter the hair the more start |
ling the transformation.
When his wave began to be fashion |
able in Paris, about 35 years ago, Mar |
cells shop was so packed with Gus !
toners that special prices were offered |
for immediate service. Then anxious |
women panic stricken at the thought |
Of facing a straight-haired evening, |
began to bid for the next turn at the !
waving irons When important social |
functions were pending, bids for a real
Marcel wave, quick, rose to 500.
Marcel taught his method to his as |
sistants. wore his own hair and beard |
au naturel. and finally retired. Now. |
he is 10 years old and Paris is going |
TO celebrate in his honor. He gave the |
hair dressing business a boost when it |
was in a slump and the business has
never fallen back into that depression. |
No woman, we understand, can wave |
neR- own hair to look like q. profess
sional job Yet waves are admired. |
So the hairdressers smile and thank |
heaven for Monsieur Marcel and hisl
epoch making invention.
A Nine Day Fete.
Plans to make MarcePs fete a nota-
Bile event are already well under way. !
The celebration is to last nine days in !
October. There are to be exhibitions |
II all theN implements, styles, and |
methods known to modern hairdress- !
ers. An elaborate collection of wax
figures will show the history of Golf |
lures. The Partisan public will be |
shown the latest methods for achiev- |
ng a permanent wave and changing
he color of ones hair. Experts in |,
turning out complicated coiffures will |
engage in exciting contests. /
Marcel will be dined and his work |
described and lauded. The climax in |
he orgy of waves will be a ball with |
on display and the wo-
men present waved according TO the |
invented by the guest of
honor.
The invention of Marcel is a simple 1
ooking affair. When skillfully done !
lis wave is supposed to resemble the |
natural ripple in curly hair. 1t might !
;eem odd that with curling irons OF |
7arious sorts in use no one had imi-