Ellwood House Curiosity: The Permanent Wave Machine and 1920s Hair Trends

Tucked on the right side of the second floor of the Curiosity Shop lies a strange looking machine. That was one of my first thoughts when I was sent up there to help organize the room. It might have been the dusty windows or the creaks of the wooden floors, but everything in that room seemed a little scary.  The machine had long wires dangling down with clips attached, and I wondered for a minute what it might have been used for, granted its ominous appearance. Luckily, it was just for hair. It was a vintage Permanent Wave Machine. Obviously, I was curious to learn more.

The machine was made during the early 1900s by a man named Charles Nessler who played with the idea of using chemicals to alter human hair. However, “permanent waves” did not become popular until the late 1920s, when women wanted modified hairstyles that looked more “natural.” Furthermore, more liberal-leaning women at that time chose to cut their hair short for a “boyish” style, but having it straight was not appealing, so they turned to curling it. Short hair with sculpted waves and tight curls became one of the most popular looks among women in the 1920s and 1930s (“1930s Permanent Wave Machine”, 2007). By the 1940s, kits were even made that allowed women to permanently wave their hair in the comfort of their own home. 

American fashion is continuously changing. The National Museum of American History describes how, as long, smooth, and straight hair moved into fashion by the late 1960s, the need for a Permanent Wave Machine declined. Those remaining machines might be hidden away and forgotten in a dusty space, spaces just like the second floor of the Curiosity Shop.

Still, the question remains. How did this machine get there in the first place? It was unlikely for the Ellwoods to own a Permanent Wave Machine. The item had most likely been donated to the Ellwoods as a way to display life in the early days. Either way, my curiosity is piqued.