Beauty Parlor photos...where did they all go??

Before I was old enough to go to school, I used to go with my mother to her weekly hair appointments. She went to a lady, named Ruth, that had a beauty parlor (as they called it then) set up in her basement. There would be lots of ladies all around at the different stations. It was a place that I can still vividly recall the sights, sounds and the myriad of smells. There were two rooms set up in the basement, as well as a bathroom. I was relegated to the back room, where the hair dryers were and all the magazines and the coloring books for the children that might tag along.

Now the noise level was quite high, with ladies voices chattering away, and the big hairdryers were loud too, so no matter how hard I tried, I learned it was hard to talk to your mother when she was under the hairdryer. Then there was that smell, the scent of permanents, hair dye and lots of hair spray, and the occasional sneak to the bathroom for a smoke. But what I really remember, was looking at all those photos that were posted up on the walls. Photos of beautiful women with all their bubble hair dos! How I wanted to look just like them!!

Not too long ago, when I was getting my own hair done, I thought of those thousands of photos that were given out to all the beauty parlors of the world and wondered where they all went.

Then, the other day, I came upon some wonderful old photos made for Hair Salons in the 60s. They are really incredible..and came from a photographers estate. (It was a photographer in Paris) wonderful because they do not look like they had years of hair spray and cigarette smoke all over them.

Looking at them, I was brought back instantly...to the time when my mother would finally be finished and we could leave. Every week, I would look at her afterward and think she looked so good..even better than the models on the wall.

Now that she is gone, I smile when I see these photos...and remember...


cathi