The Hair Rejuvenator was a device "applied with electricity" and was supposed to stimulate regrowth and prevent greying. Dr. August's Hair Coloring, advertised in small print at the bottom, was of course for dealing with the grey hair you already had. It had no "sugar of lead" in it - which sounds like a good thing.
Advertisements in the Eagle in the late 1890s (for example, April 8, 1898, p. 9) proclaimed that this product was also called (at least by Dr. August) the Greater New York Hair Grower. The print ad above is from the Brooklyn Eagle, November 22, 1900, p. 7.A John August was listed in the 1859 Brooklyn Directory as a barber living at 316 Fulton with a work address of 7 Clinton; this directory is digitized at the wonderful Brooklyn Genealogy Information Page - the link is here. In the 1860 census he is listed as being 38 years old, born in Germany, and a "Master Barber" [John August household, 1860 US Census, Brookyn Ward 3, Kings, NY; #353/404, Series M653, Roll 764, p. 504].
John August was also listed in the 1873 Boyd's Brooklyn Directory, digitized here, residing at 7 Clinton and listing his occupation not as physician but "hairdresser." By the end of the century, though, August had promoted himself to being not only a physician but a Professor, too.
7 Comments:
Interesting post. I am really curious what this contraption looks like. Maybe someone out there has one . . . It must have worked because the gentleman in the picture looks like he probably was electricuted.
"Applying with electricity"???
Sounds more like a torture method than a hair restorer!
Electricity and sugar of lead is a combination that usually ends in tears...!
I'm wondering if he had as much hair in real life as he did in the ad.
whoo ha ! he wants to lobotomize your hair. maybe with the threat spread liberally around, your hair would sense danger and behave.
sounds dangerous to me,, and I've got some strong minded hair. it's totally got control of it's own situation. electricity, oh no..
without ceramic, ohhhhhh hecks no.
Amanda - I was hoping to find a picture but no such luck!
The BB - No, it does not sound like fun.
Jayne - Indeed!
Hairball - Probably not ;)
RE - I'm with you! My hair is strong-minded too and would laugh at this (then run away fast!) ;)
As I recall, some modern men's hair coloring treatments contain lead! It was common in women's hair coloring as well, but since more women than men color their hair, it's a no-no now. All I can imagine is something like electroplating for the hair! Yikes!!!!!
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