Good Looks--The Care of the Hair (1906)

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.

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.

 

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. Link


A brief Wikepedia.com article on the Seven Sutherland Sisters with some interesting links can be found here: Link

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.

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. Link

Miss Grace Sutherland (1889) (Source: Wikimedia Commons) Link

 

Close Friends by Howard Chandler Christy (1908)

Postcard Image by Howard Chandler Christy (1910)

Sweet Love by Harrison Fisher (1907)

When We Are Together Shooting by Clarence F. Underwood (1906)

Text paraphrased or quoted from Wikipedia.org is presented under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

The Modern Kitchen Circa 1910

Woman With Chafing Dish  by Coles Phillips (1911)

The following passages on labor-saving kitchen devices are adapted from The Los Angeles Herald Sunday Supplement from March 13, 1910, and from a wonderful British multi-volume work called Every Woman's Encyclopedia published between 1910 and 1912, which covered every aspect of life for a middle to upper class woman of the era, including fashion, beauty, etiquette, the arts, society, marriage, childcare, needle crafts, cooking, and care of the sick. Some of the devices mentioned in these articles are still in use today in more modern form, and some are long forgotten. I am curious about the triplicate sauce pan that was mentioned, but I have been unable to find a picture of one.

Comforts For the Kitchen

Comforts for the kitchen! There was a time when every other room in the house received thought before the kitchen, as far as comforts were concerned. The kitchen was simply the workshop, and it was large and contained a range, a table and chairs. But to the housekeeper, who gave thought to matters pertaining to comforts in the house, there was something about the compactness of the dining car kitchen or the kitchen aboard ship that appealed to her. It showed that things could be concentrated and made more convenient as far as steps and time were concerned....Of late years inventive minds have sought to find labor saving devices for the housewife. The applied uses of electricity did a great deal, but there are many other things outside of electrical helps that have lessened the drudgery of kitchen work....The perfect kitchen is one which helps the housewife to do things as quickly as possible in the most comfortable way. The kitchen should be the laboratory of the household, not the place of drudgery. 

From the San Francisco Call (1911)

    

Among labor-saving utensils we find the bread mixer, an invaluable help in making bread; the oven indicator, which assists in getting the right temperature for baking; the meat grinder, which is most helpful for making hash, casserole, etc.; the spatula, measuring cups, potato parer, good knives, a pair of scissors, a set of skewers and a few good brushes. To these we may add the handy kettle which cooks quickly without scorching the food. Then we find the triplicate sauce pan, consisting of three pans in one; it is clover leaf in shape and permits three articles of food to be cooked at one time, with no more fuel than would be required to cook one. Each division may be detached from the other two if desired.

From the San Francisco Call (1911)

                                             

A double frying pan or omelette cooker is another interesting and convenient kitchen comfort. An omelette is prepared, and when cooked and ready to fold the pan is closed and the omelette folded in perfect shape. This appeals to every woman who has had trouble in doubling an omelette. It has other uses as well, besides being servicable for warming over two kinds of food at one time. The double pan is used over one burner, and therefore saves fuel and , best of all, saves dish washing. With all these helps work must be lighter. In addition, help yourself. Have all utensils handy. Utilize wall space, reach rather than step. Keep everything that you use often in sight. A small closet where one may keep brooms, ironing board, mops and things used only occasionally is desirable. The supply closet for reserve groceries, canned fruit, etc. should open into the kitchen....Have all the labor-saving devices that you can afford to have and teach your head to save your heels.

Adapted From The Los Angeles Herald Sunday Supplement from March 13, 1910

From the San Francisco Call (1911)

Labour-Saving Ideas In Kitchen Apparatus

There are hundreds of women who miss golden opportunities of providing their domestic staff with time and labour saving articles, owing to the fact that they have not yet realised the difference that a few good household tools make to the worker, and often to the family purse as well. The following utensils are eminently practical.

Take, for instance, the steam cooker. A cook is expected to serve up a dinner of several courses every evening; this usually entails the use and washing up of many saucepans, also a large fire or several gas boiling-rings. Buy one of these handy steamers, and at least four articles of food can be cooked over one pan of water, in which potatoes or a pudding can be boiled. They are constructed on scientific principles, giving concentrated heat with steam pressure. Each compartment is separate, and any number can be used, as food is as thoroughly cooked in the top compartment as in the bottom.

A Steam Cooker With Four Compartments

Soap was a source of constant waste in a house, but now there is no excuse for this state of things, when it is possible to purchase an excellent contrivance known as a "soap-saver." It consists of a wire basket into which all odds and ends of soap may be put. Close the basket securely, and shake it about in the water in which the articles are to be washed, when the water will soon become soapy. Used occasionally while washing up plates, etc., it will prevent any grease remaining, and will make the articles bright and clean in much less time than without its use. Another advantage, and by no means least, of this soap-saver is that all risk of finding soap adhering to the cups, forks, etc. is done away with. This saver...can be obtained at most good ironmongers.

A Clever Convenience By Which Soap Can be Saved

In houses where the cook has much work to do which takes her out of the kitchen, the "automatic meat-baster" will be found invaluable. If she is particular about basting the joints (of meat), much time will be wasted running backwards and forwards to the oven, while, if she is unconscientious in this matter, meat will often be dry through lack of basting. The automatic baster thus supplies a great want. It can be adjusted to any baking-tin, and to various heights to suit large or small joints (of meat). It consists of a tray with small holes in the bottom. Into this are put small pieces of mutton fat, beef suet, or, if preferred, drippings. With the heat of the oven these melt, percolate through small holes, and drip on the meat, thus keeping it thoroughly and continuously basted without taking up the cook's valuable time.

Automatic Baster

In our various recipes instructions are constantly given to "Rub through a sieve," or a "fine sieve," or perhaps a "coarse sieve"; obviously it is supposed the kitchen is provided with more than one. In these days of small flats and limited kitchen space, where every inch is of value, in few kitchens is there sufficient room to store three medium-sized sieves. Here is an invention which solves that difficulty. It consists of one frame with interchangeable bottoms. These can be changed instantly from coarse to fine, and are very easy to keep clean. The frames...vary from 8 inches to 18 inches in diameter...As shown in the illustration, the bottoms are quite flat, and, therefore, will take up very little room.

A Frame Sieve With Interchangeable Bottoms

Bread-making used to be a long, tedious process, and for that reason home baking became unpopular, and baker's bread was used instead of the more nourishing and satisfying home-made variety. With the invention of the "three-minute bread-maker," which mixes and kneads bread perfectly in three minutes, home-made bread is again becoming popular, to the great advantage of health and purse....

The Quick Bread Maker

Each year vegetarians and fruitarians are greatly increasing in numbers, and as nuts play a very important part in their diet, the grating machine illustrated comes as a great boon to them. It also deserves a place in every kitchen, for it greatly lessens the time and labour required for grating bread, cheese, nuts, etc. It is made in two sizes-- one, specially for grating bread, cheese, etc., and one for almonds and other nuts. It can be fixed to any ordinary kitchen table in the same way as a mincing machine.

A Useful Grating Machine

In houses of doctors and clergymen, who are often late for meals through no fault of their own, the fireproof dish with spirit lamp attached is a great boon, for dishes of all kinds can so easily be kept hot in it. The dishes are made in either green or brown fireproof china (in an oval or round shape.)

Fireproof Dish With Spirit Lamp

Adapted From Every Woman's Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, Circa 1910

The Chafing Dish

The chafing dish which became popular some few years ago, and which still remains popular, is not so modern an affair as many fancy it is. It figured on the table of the Greeks and Romans more than two thousand years ago, and occupied so prominent a place at banquets that several prominent Romans of those days did not consider it beneath their dignity to mention it. The dish of that day may have been less useful than the modern chafing dish with all its helpful accessories, but it was more elaborate. Like all utensils and ornaments, the chafing dish was exquisite in workmanship and beautiful in design.

Chafing Dish from Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management (1909)

Today this useful commodity belongs to all nations. It did not appear in America until 1720. The story goes that a rich father wishing to bestow upon his daughter at her marriage "a truly elegant outfit," ordered from England six small chafing dishes. It is today quite a necessary feature of the household. Many things for luncheon or informal occasions can be prepared in the chafing dish. It can be manipulated by a man or woman. A chafing party is the sincerest expression of the most perfect hospitality and expresses the most hearty good fellowship.

Two Cooks by Clarence Underwood (1908) source

Recipe For Welsh Rarebit

Melt butter the size of an egg in chafing dish; when melted put in three cupfuls of grated American cream cheese with about one-third pint of beer or ale. Keep stirring. Put in a half teaspoon of prepared English mustard. When cheese is melted add two well-beaten eggs and cook for a second only. Be sure that the eggs are well mixed with the cheese and butter. Salt to taste and serve on hot toast.

Adapted From The Los Angeles Herald Sunday Supplement from March 13, 1910