dark brown console with rounded top; 6 metal rods hold clips with felt "handles"; gold metal below rods

"Tempera" electric hair curler set, c. 1940

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It looks like something pulled from under the hood of a car, but this appliance was instead engineered for beauty. In the expert hands of the sttylist, the Tempera permanent wave machine could transform tightly curled hair. into lustrous locks and stick straight tresses to undulating waves. The first US patent for a permanent wave machine was taken out in 1928 by Marjorie Stewart Joyner (1896-1994), the African-American inventor and beautician. The permanent wave hair machine was an equal opportunity appliance, used by black and white women in pursuit of beauty.

Details
Title
"Tempera" electric hair curler set
Artist Life
Darmstadt, y, est. 1880
Role
Manufacturer
Accession Number
2001.169a-ee
Curator Approved

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dark brown console with rounded top; 6 metal rods hold clips with felt "handles"; gold metal below rods