Permanent Wave Machine, circa 1930

01

Artifact Overview

During the 1920s and 1930s, permanent wave machines were a popular but sometimes hair-damaging method for producing long-lasting curls. Hairdressers applied a chemical solution on the hair and then used the machine's extremely hot rods and clamps to set the desired curl pattern. By the 1940s, "cold wave" perming, which did not require heat, rendered hot perms obsolete.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Permanent wave machine

Date Made

circa 1930

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

93.176.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Metal
Wire

Color

Gray (Color)
Black (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 76 in
Width: 22 in
Length: 31.5 in

Inscriptions

on data plate: GABRIELEEN MACHINE / MADE BY / GABRIELEEN COMPANY INC. / SER. NO. 5645 / 110 VOLTS / 15 AMPS / MODEL 124 / NEW YORK CITY, U.S.A.