Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"THE ELIZABETH ARDEN"

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1969

Materials

PAPER, CARDBOARD, GLASS

No. Pieces

14

Height

3.6

Length

12.6

Width

14.8

Description

A. BOX WITH LID, CARDBOARD, 14.8CM W X 12.6CM L X 3.6CM TALL. LID IS SALMON-PINK ON OUTSIDE WITH BLUE WAVE COVERING BOTTOM HALF; LID HAS BLUE TEXT ON PINK HALF, “THE ELIZABETH ARDEN”; LID HAS PINK TEXT ON BLUE BACKGROUND “SPUN-CREAM PIN CURL PERMANENT WAVE, WITH SPECIAL ALLOY BOB-PINS”. TOP EDGE OF LID HAS PENCIL TEXT IN LEFT CORNER “D/250” WITH A RED INK LINE THROUGH TEXT AND RED TEXT, “125”. BOX BASE IS PINK WITH MINOR WEAR AT CORNERS; INSIDE OF BOX IS WHITE. INSIDE OF LID IS WHITE; LID IS WORN AT LOWER CORNERS; TOP OF LID HAS BROWN STAINING; INSIDE OF LID HAS BLUE STAINING AT BOTTOM; BOX HAS MINOR STAINING INSIDE AND ON BASE; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. B. GLASS BOTTLE, 11.7CM TALL X 6.5CM W X 3.4CM L. BOTTLE FILLED WITH ORIGINAL CONTENTS, TAN LIQUID. BOTTLE HAS BLUE PLASTIC LID; BOTTLE HAS BLUE TEXT ON FRONT, “SPUN-CREAM PERMANENT WAVE, WAVE LOTION, FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY, FOR EXTERNAL USE ONLY, ELIZABETH ARDEN, NEW YORK, CONTENTS 4 FL. OZS.”. BOTTOM OF BOTTLE HAS BLACK STAMPED TEXT “E40”. BOTTLE HAS MINOR WEARING ON BOTTOM STAMP; BOTTLE HAS MINOR GRIME ON LID AND BOTTOM; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. C. FOLDED PAPER INSERT, 12.8CM W X 9.8CM L. FRONT IS WHITE WITH BLUE WAVE ALONG BOTTOM EDGE; FRONT HAS BLUE PRINTED TEXT “NOW…THE PERFECT PIN CURL WAVE FOR HOME USE…THE ELIZABETH ARDEN” AND WHITE TEXT ON BLUE WAVE “SPUN-CREAM PIN CURL WAVE”. INSERT HAS INSTRUCTIONS AND TIPS FOR USING “ELIZABETH ARDEN” KIT. BACK HAS BLUE TEXT, “POINTERS ON PERMANENT WAVES FROM THE ELIZABETH ARDEN SALON” WITH TIPS BELOW. INSERT HAS CREASES ALONG TOP EDGE; RIGHT EDGE IS FOLDED TOWARDS FRONT; LOWER LEFT CORNER HAS CREASE AND MINOR STAINING; FRONT HAS MINOR WEAR; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. D. FOLDED PAPER INSERT, 11CM L X 7CM W. INSERT HAS BILINGUAL TEXT IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH; PAPER IS WHITE WITH PINK SCALLOPED-PATTERN TRIM AT RIGHT EDGE; FRONT OF INSERT HAS BLACK TEXT “DIRECTIONS FOR USE, HEADSPIN COMB-A-PERM IS DIFFERENT, EASIER…QUICKER…BETTER, FOR A PERFECT HEADSPIN HOME PERM FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY”, WITH PINK TEXT BELOW “HEADSPIN COMB-A-PERM” AND BLACK TEXT AND BOTTOM “CONTAINS SUFFICIENT FOR 60 CURLS, THE WHOLE HEAD, OR FOR TWO END PERMS, OR FOR SEVERAL PART-PERMS, AND HEADSPIN KEEPS FOR FUTURE USE”. BACK HAS PINK TEXT AT TOP, “HEADSPIN COMB-A-PERM” WITH BLACK TEXT BELOW PROVIDING PERM PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS AND SUPPLIES NEEDED, AND TEXT, “IF YOU WOULD LIKE ANY ADVICE PLEASE WRITE TO – PAMELA LEWIS. ASHE LABORATORIES LTD., LETTERHEAD, SURREY, ENGLAND”. INSERT CONTAINS INSTRUCTIONS AND TIPS FOR USING “HEADSPIN COMB-A-PERM”. FRONT HAS MINOR STAINING ALONG RIGHT EDGE; BACK HAS MINOR STAINING; INSERT HAS SEVERE FOLDS AND CREASING; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. E. WHITE PAPER ENVELOPE, 10.9CM L X 6.9CM W. ENVELOPE HAS BLUE TEXT ON FRONT, “NEUTRALIZER TEST PAPERS…ELIZABETH ARDEN, NEW YORK” WITH A DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE TEST PAPERS WORK. ENVELOPE HAS OPENING FLAP AT BACK; ENVELOPE CONTAINS BOOKLET OF TEXT PAPERS WITH PINK COVER. BACK OF ENVELOPE HAS MINOR STAINING; ENVELOPE HAS YELLOWING AND DISCOLORATION AT EDGES; INSIDE OF ENVELOPE FLAP AND ON ENVELOPE BELOW FLAP HAS YELLOW STAINING FROM ADHESIVE; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. F. WHITE FOLDED PAPER, 24.6CM L X 33.4CM W UNFOLDED. PAPER UNFOLDS WITH SEALED LEFT SIDE AND SEALED TOP; TOP EDGE IS ROUNDED AND STITCHED TOGETHER WITH WHITE THREAD. PAPER IS CREASED FROM FOLDING; PAPER HAS YELLOWING AND DISCOLORATION AT CREASES AND EDGES; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. G. BOOKLET OF PERM PAPERS, 6CM L X 4.7CM W. BOOKLET HAS BLUE FRONT AND BACK COVER WITH THIN, WHITE PERM PAPERS INSIDE; BOOKLET IS HELD TOGETHER WITH YELLOWED ADHESIVE ALONG TOP EDGE. FRONT COVER HAS MINOR CREASE; BACK COVER HAS MINOR GREEN AND RED STAINING; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. H. BOOKLET OF PERM PAPERS, 5.7CM L X 4.5CM W. BOOKLET HAS BLUE FRONT AND BACK COVER WITH THIN, WHITE PERM PAPERS INSIDE; BOOKLET IS HELD TOGETHER WITH YELLOWED ADHESIVE ALONG TOP EDGE. BACK COVER HAS MINOR RED STAINING; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. I. BOOKLET OF PERM PAPERS, 5.6CM L X 4.3CM W. BOOKLET HAS BLUE BACK COVER, MISSING FRONT COVER, WITH THIN, WHITE PERM PAPERS INSIDE; BOOKLET IS HELD TOGETHER WITH YELLOWED ADHESIVE ALONG TOP EDGE. BACK COVER HAS MINOR CREASE ALONG BOTTOM EDGE; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. J. BOOKLET OF PERM PAPERS, 5.9CM L X 4.5CM W. BOOKLET HAS ORANGE FRONT AND BACK COVER WITH THIN, WHITE PERM PAPERS INSIDE; BOOKLET IS HELD TOGETHER WITH YELLOWED ADHESIVE ALONG TOP EDGE. FRONT AND BACK COVERS HAVE MINOR STAINING; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. K. BOOKLET OF PERM PAPERS, 5.8CM L X 4.4CM W. BOOKLET HAS ORANGE FRONT AND BACK COVER WITH THIN, WHITE PERM PAPERS INSIDE; BOOKLET IS HELD TOGETHER WITH YELLOWED ADHESIVE ALONG TOP EDGE. FRONT AND BACK COVERS HAVE MINOR STAINING; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. L. BOOKLET OF PERM PAPERS, 5.9CM L X 4.5CM W. BOOKLET HAS PINK FRONT AND BACK COVER WITH THIN, WHITE PERM PAPERS INSIDE; BOOKLET IS HELD TOGETHER WITH YELLOWED ADHESIVE ALONG TOP EDGE. FRONT AND BACK COVERS HAVE MINOR STAINING; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. M. WHITE ROUNDED TUBE, 8.8CM L X 2.5CM W. TUBE HAS SILVER METAL TOP WITH BLACK PLASTIC CAP; FRONT OF TUBE HAS RED PRINTED TEXT, “HEADSPIN COMB-A-PERM”. BACK OF TUBE HAS RED PRINTED TEXT, “THIS TUBE CONTAINS SUFFICIENT TO PERM THE WHOLE HEAD OF 60 CURLS, PLEASE READ DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY AND ALWAYS REPLACE CAP TIGHTLY, MADE IN ENGLAND, WORLD PATS. PENDING. ASHE LABORATORIES LTD. LEATHERHEAD SURREY ENG: KEEP IN A COOL PLACE”. END OF TUBE HAS STAMPED TEXT, “5044”. TUBE IS DISCOLORED AND YELLOWED; TUBE HAS BROWN STAINING ON FRONT AND BACK, AND LIGHT STAINING ON BACK OF BLACK CAP; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. N. WHITE ROUNDED TUBE, 8.8CM L X 2.5CM W. TUBE HAS SILVER METAL TOP WITH BLACK PLASTIC CAP; FRONT OF TUBE HAS RED PRINTED TEXT, “HEADSPIN COMB-A-PERM”. BACK OF TUBE HAS RED PRINTED TEXT, “THIS TUBE CONTAINS SUFFICIENT TO PERM THE WHOLE HEAD OF 60 CURLS, PLEASE READ DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY AND ALWAYS REPLACE CAP TIGHTLY, MADE IN ENGLAND, WORLD PATS. PENDING. ASHE LABORATORIES LTD. LEATHERHEAD SURREY ENG: KEEP IN A COOL PLACE”. END OF TUBE HAS STAMPED TEXT, “5042”. TUBE HAS MINOR BROWN STAINING AT FLAT END; TUBE BLACK CAP HAS MINOR STAINING AND WEAR; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

TOILET ARTICLE

Historical Association

PROFESSIONS

PERSONAL CARE

History

ON JUNE 5, 2019, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED CAROL DARMODY REGARDING HER DONATION OF OBJECTS RELATED TO HER PARENTS, IRENE (NEE NAGY) AND JOHN FROUWS. ON THE PERM KIT, DARMODY SHARED, “I THINK THIS IS…THE DEADLY PERM SOLUTION. I HAD NATURALLY CURLY HAIR, AND LONG HAIR, IN HIGH SCHOOL. MOM WOULD PUT THAT SOLUTION ON. IT MUST HAVE BEEN TERRIBLE FOR MY HAIR! AND, JUST PULL MY HAIR, TO HAVE IT STRAIGHT BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD MAKE FUN [OF IT]—IT WASN’T COOL TO HAVE BUSHY HAIR IN HIGH SCHOOL. KIDS WOULD MAKE FUN OF YOU…IT WAS COOL TO HAVE STRAIGHT HAIR. SHE WOULD IRON IT ON THE IRONING BOARD TOO, BUT MOST OF HER [OLDER] CLIENTS WANTED CURLS…IF YOU’VE GOT CURLY HAIR, SHE WOULD PUT THAT AWFUL [PERM SOLUTION ON] AND PULL [THE HAIR]…THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER BOTTLE THAT NEUTRALIZED IT.” “[THERE WERE] THE LITTLE PAPERS WITH THAT DEADLY SOLUTION…I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY ‘50S, AND THEN IT GOES UP…I DON’T THINK PAST ‘60S…[OF] DIFFERENT PERM SOLUTION STUFF.” ON HER MOTHER’S HAIRDRESSING, DARMODY RECALLED, “SHE TOOK THE HAIRDRESSING COURSE, I THINK IT WAS 1937, IN CALGARY, AND SHE REALLY LOVED HAIRDRESSING. SHE DID VOLUNTEER HAIRDRESSING FOR YEARS AT EDITH CAVELL, EVEN LATER IN LIFE. SHE TOOK IT VERY SERIOUSLY, AND LOVED DOING IT. SHE DID [HAIR FOR] NEIGHBOURS, FRIENDS, RELATIVES, BOYFRIENDS, GIRLFRIENDS, DAD…IT WAS ALWAYS A BIG PART OF HER LIFE…NOT REALLY FOR MONEY, JUST THE BARTERING THING, LIKE MAYBE SOMEONE WOULD MAKE HER COOKIES...” “[MOM] DIDN’T DO IT EVERY DAY, BECAUSE [HER AND MY DAD] WERE BUSY—AND THEY WOULD BABYSIT. [MY PARENTS] NEVER HAD GRANDKIDS, SO THEY BABYSAT ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS ON NORMANDY…IT WASN’T LIKE A COMMERCIAL OPERATION…AN AUNT WOULD PHONE, ‘I NEED MY HAIR CUT.’ ‘COME ON OVER.’ OR, SHE WOULD GO OVER THERE. AND, MY MOM ALWAYS DROVE, SO SHE WOULD GET AROUND.” “[DURING THE WAR, MOM WAS] HAIRDRESSING, AND WORKING FOR TCA, PREPARING FOOD FOR THE PILOTS.” “IT WOULDN’T BE A LOT [OF MONEY THAT SHE MADE]…BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULDN’T BE SPLURGING TO HAVE THEIR HAIR DONE [DURING THE 1930S AND 1940S]…MOM DOES REMEMBER DOING THE MADAME’S [HAIR]…I DON’T KNOW THE ONE…[THAT WAS WHEN] PROSTITUTES AND MADAMES WERE ALLOWED TO SHOP IN LETHBRIDGE [IN AMMENDMENTS TO THE INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT, DARMODY NOTED, "THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE DISCRIMINATION TOWARD PROSTITUTES AT THE TIME. FOR A TIME, PROSTITUTES WERE ALLOWED TO SHOP IN LETHBRIDGE ONLY ONE DAY PER WEEK"], BUT SHE DID HAVE A MADAME FOR SURE…MOM CONSIDERED HERSELF A GOOD HAIRDRESSER. MY FRIENDS MIGHT DISAGREE, BUT…SHE DID HAVE A FEW INTERESTING CLIENTS, FOR SURE, WHEN SHE STARTED…[IN THE] LATE ‘30S, DURING THE WAR…IT SHOULD BE NOTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME, MOM DIDN’T KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST HAIR STYLES. WHEN I BECAME A YOUNG ADULT, I OFTEN REFUSED TO LET HER CUT OR STYLE MY HAIR.” ON WHERE HER MOTHER DID HAIR, DARMODY SHARED, “I CAN’T REMEMBER HOW THAT WORKED…THERE IS NO PICTURE OF MOM IN A SHOP, SO I’M NOT SURE. THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAIRDRESSING PLACES…THE MADAME MIGHT HAVE COME TO THE HOUSE. MOM WOULD HAVE HAD AN APARTMENT.” DARMODY ELABORATED ON HER MOTHER’S PASSION FOR HAIRDRESSING, NOTING, “SHE NEVER STOPPED [DOING HAIR]. WELL, WHEN SHE GOT ALZHEIMER’S, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS FOR HER TO HAVE SCISSORS, SO SHE PROBABLY STOPPED LATE…CLOSE TO 2000…SHE LOVED IT…EVEN JUST TO CUT DAD’S HAIR, AND THE ODD NEIGHBOR’S HAIR. SHE USED A RULER [TO MEASURE THE LENGTH TO BE CUT] WITH MINE. I DON’T THINK I LET HER [CUT MY HAIR WHEN I BECAME AN ADULT]…IN THE EARLY ‘90S, SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN VOLUNTEERING A LOT AT EDITH CAVELL, AND IT’S KIND OF IRONIC, BECAUSE IT BOTHERED HER, GOING TO THE NURSING HOME, BECAUSE SHE KNEW ALL THESE PEOPLE [SHE OFTEN WOULD BE UPSET TO SEE PEOPLE SHE KNEW FROM THE PAST SUFFERING FROM ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND NEGLECT]…SHE WOULD MAKE THEM FEEL HAPPY [BY DOING THEIR HAIR]…IT WAS FREE…SHE DIDN’T DO IT FOR MONEY. THEN, SHE ENDS UP IN A SIMILAR SITUATION [BEING PLACE IN CARE FACILITY IN 2001, BECAUSE SHE HAD ALZHEIMER’S], BUT DAD DEALT WITH HER HAIR. HE WOULD JUST CUT IT STRAIGHT, BUT IT SUITED HER.” “SHE WAS A BIT MORE EXTROVERTED THAN DAD, AND JUST THAT CLOSE CONTACT WITH PEOPLE, AND MAKING SOMEONE FEEL HAPPY, WHOEVER THAT PERSON WAS. AND, IF THAT PERSON DIDN’T HAVE MONEY, IT DIDN’T MATTER – JUST MAKING THEM FEEL BETTER.” FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND COPIES OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE P20190010001-GA.

Catalogue Number

P20190010015

Acquisition Date

2019-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail