The Wilmington morning star., 1940-07-08
Interesting Notes In
History Of Permanent
Waving Told By Vogue

IT have had a lot Of my patrons
ask me different questions about
the history of permanent waving"
said Mrs. Helene Colquitt Richard
son, owner-manager of the popular
Vogue Beauty Shoppe. Permanent
waving through the centuries is
such an interesting story I would
like to tell everyone about it.
"The earliest known records of
permanent waving are found as
far back as 5000 B. C. In the hey
dey Of Babylon hair was braided
and bitumen applied to preserve
the shape of the spirals. This was
allowed to dry and then combed
out into waves and curls. T h i S
crude method of hair waving
wasn't very effective. The waves
lasted only a. fortnight, if there
was no rain or if the person didn't
perspire.
"Wavy hair was once looked up
on as a distinction signifying SUI
perior social position back in the
days of old Greek and Roman
glory. The hair of every person,
male or female, of any Importance
whatever, was done up in small
tight ringlets all over the head.
This practice was not considered
at all eliminate. Warriors, states
men, philosophers, as well as their
wives and ancient gigolos all wav-
ed their hair. Not to do so was
considered vulgar and crude. That
was because only the very poor
lower class allowed their hair to
remain straight. ALI the busts and
statues unearthed in the runs of
that period show the subject with
these distinctive ringlets.
Contrary to what a lot of peo-
pie think bobbed hair is not an eff
f~ectation of modern women. T h e
women of ancient Rome wore their
hair very short.
Interesting, too, is the method
in which the Egyptian women prac-
ticed permanent waving. They used
to wind their hair around small
bamboo shafts and then coat the
whole business with Nile m u d.
This was allowed to bake in the
Egyptian sun and then combed out,
producing a full-fedged Egyptian
siren. Cleopatra waved her hair in
this manner.
1--WE never had anyone ask me
this question:" continued Mrs.
Richardson, "but I found it in a
bit of research on permanent wav-
ing so I'm passing it on. The pic
lures and statues of medieval
mythology were never represented
with straight hair. Medieval art
lists made their Gods in their own
image, with curly hair. The sur
viving pieces of their work r
consistently curled haired.
Strange as it may seem, at one
time in history artificially waved
hair was taboo. At about the mid
die of the 18th century people in
most European countries were sad
died with fanatical religious cults
and organizations. Their branches
of the church were so powerful that
they dominated politics as well as
the home. In this period artificial
hair curling or any other kind CT
vanity was discouraged by tn e
c. :ch. There was a Psychological
back, however, in the be-
ginning of the 18th century, with
the result that hair dressing and
coifures we're developed to unpre-
cedented elaborateness.
Ladies'" Helene said, 'this may
make you shudder and be thank
full for modern shops. It is actually
tina. hair was boiled on hui
man heads to obtain a wave at
one time not so terribly many
years ago. Women immersed their
long tresses in a pot of hot water
as close to the scalp as was hui
manly possible. Then the hair,
wound on hollow tubes, was allow
ed to remain in the water at al
most the boiling point for as long
as the woman could stand it. The
finished wave was nothing to brag