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| At the Toilet by Harrison Fisher (Circa 1910) |
Throughout history, women have often suffered and even died to be beautiful; or that is, to conform to whatever the current standard of beauty was in their particular time and place. From lead-containing face powders in the 18th century (which were actually used by both fashionable men and women, with often disastrous results), to rib crushing corsets in the 19th century, to impossibly high heels, plastic surgery and weight control fads in modern times, the quest for beauty has unfortunately sometimes led to unhealthy practices.
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| Late 19th Century Trade Card |
Like the usually ineffective and often dangerous medicines of the era, hair products of the 19th and early 20th centuries contained various substances, some of which were harmful, and many of which were benign and still found in beauty products today. Some ingredients cleaned and softened the hair, or gave it a pleasant scent. Others made the scalp tingle or burn to make users feel that it was working to stimulate circulation. Common ingredients found in these preparations included soap, borax, glycerin, witch hazel, rose water, bay rum and other alcohols. But some also contained potentially dangerous ingredients such as hydrochloric acid, caustic soda, or lead.
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| Late 19th Century Trade Card |
Hair tonics and shampoos often made wild claims of being able to beautify and restore damaged or thinning hair, enticing women to use their often useless or even toxic products to become more attractive and fashionable. In the late 1800s, the Seven Sutherland Sisters promoted popular hair products, which included a "Hair Grower", "Hair Colorators", and a "Scalp Cleaner". These seven sisters from New York were popular singers and side show performers for Barnum and Bailey's from about 1882 to 1907, known for their exceptionally long, thick hair. Genetically gifted, they sported their lustrous locks long before the formula was even developed. But they were effective celebrity endorsers, targeting women who hoped to grow their own beautiful hair.
In an age where women wore their hair up in public, sensuous, long flowing hair was normally reserved for intimate moments. Such images of extremely long hair seem strange in the 21st century, but in their time they appealed to women's deep desire for sexual attractiveness and love, just like modern ads for beauty products do today.
A very interesting in-depth article on the sisters, their lives, and their hair care products can be found at peachridgeglass.com.
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A brief Wikepedia.com article on the Seven Sutherland Sisters with some interesting links can be found here:
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| The Seven Sutherland Sisters (Circa 1890s) On such group photos the sisters were always placed in such a way that it seemed all of the sisters had hair reaching the floor. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) Link |
The following article appeared in the advice column "Good Looks" from The Delineator, January 1906, written by a female physician, Eleanor Rogers, M.D. The author gave beauty advice in response to letters from readers of the magazine, which was in line with the latest medical information of the era. While good general health and effective circulation to the scalp are still recognized as being important for healthy hair, many of the treatments recommended by Dr. Rogers would now be considered ineffective and/or extremely dangerous. The hair care tips presented here are for historical interest only, and must not be taken as safe medical advice.
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| 7 Sutherland Sisters Hair and Scalp Cleaner (Source: Joe Mabel at Wikimedia Commons) Link (CC BY-SA 3.0-- Link) |
This particular response to a letter on hair care references a substance called cantharides, which was one of the ingredients in the "7 Sutherland Sisters Hair and Scalp Cleaner." Cantharides, also known as cantharidin or Spanish fly, is an irritating substance derived from the secretions of blister beetles. Historically it was used in various preparations an an aphrodisiac, but it sometimes caused injury or death, rather than sexual arousal. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, cantharides was used in some hair care products, as it was believed the irritating properties stimulated circulation to the scalp and promoted hair growth. Cantharides can act as a poison if taken internally and can also cause chemical burns to the skin. It is still used as a therapeutic ingredient in small doses to treat specific skin conditions, but it is no longer readily available. According to Wikipedia, cantharides is classified in the United States as an extremely hazardous substance, and is subject to strict reporting requirements by facilities which produce, store or use it in significant quantities.
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| Miss Grace Sutherland (1889) (Source: Wikimedia Commons) Link |
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| Close Friends by Howard Chandler Christy (1908) |
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| Postcard Image by Howard Chandler Christy (1910) |
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Sweet Love by Harrison Fisher (1907)
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When We Are Together Shooting by Clarence F. Underwood (1906)
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