Beauty Parlors on Parade

Beauty shops (parlors, salons, boutiques, nooks — whatever their names,) have been a vital part of Cape Girardeau history. Many of them popped up in the mid-thirties in homes along quiet neighborhoods, as well as in business districts uptown, downtown and midtown. The local hairstyling business continues to flourish. Actually, the telephone directory lists some 90 shops to choose from for shampoos, cuts and curls.

Jo Ann Bock

Shop names in years past usually carried the owner’s name. The 1937 city directory published by Polk & Company records a grand total of 27 parlors, including Dayzy’s on North Main and Jean’s, Florence’s, Erna’s and Myrtle’s shops along Broadway. The Beauty Box, Vogue, Nook and Modern also drew patrons to midtown, along with Ruthie’s Salon.

My first visit to a beauty shop was inspired by one of Shirley Temple’s popular movies I saw at the old Broadway Theater (circa 1939). I begged Mother to let me get a cut and curls like Shirley’s. “Please, please let me!” finally brought a reluctant, “All right!”

The next day, Mom and I walked down one block from Good Hope Street to Flora Mae’s Shop on William Street for the magical transformation from straight-as-stick hair to curly locks. The process turned out to be more pain than gain. The permanent machine looked spooky with its wires and clamps. By the time my hair was shampooed, cut and rolled on curlers, I was whimpering, even more so when the electric clamps were applied. This frightened 9-year-old could barely hold her chin up for the seemingly endless minutes it took to get an honest-to-goodness permanent wave.

At last I was unhooked. The deed was done. A second shampoo and more curlers, followed by a sit under the dryer, and presto! Results? More frizz than curls. Before the month was over, I returned to the crime scene for a short cut. It was back to my old Buster Brown bangs style.

Happy to say, in the years since that “electric chair” episode, I have been pleased with the results of sessions with dozens of talented beauty operators. It is not unusual for stylists and clients to become good friends over many years. My ongoing visits to Ruby’s in-home shop on Clark Street resulted in a 20-years-plus friendship. The bi-weekly after-school teaching appointments are memorable times. I looked forward to visiting with “the regulars” (Mary Hager, Betty Voss, Laura Nagel and Ernestine Gerhardt, among others). We always looked better going out than coming in, thanks to Ruby Bess’ hair styling skills, patience and pleasing personality. These days when I need a stylish haircut, I make my way to Janet’s Shop on Plaza Way.

In our teen years, my sister Kitty and I spent many an hour rolling our hair before going to bed. Rollers, bobby pins, curling irons and hair nets were our tools to copy the hairstyling trends made popular by movie stars of the 1940s. My preferences were Ginger Rogers’ smooth pageboy and Betty Grable’s becoming updos with those beautiful blonde curls on top.

Experimenting with hairstyles can be a challenging adventure. I have enjoyed the ride, from pony tails to poodle cuts, feather bobs to the beehive, and the page boy to updos. Actually, my hair style (see picture) seems not to have changed very much. The short cut and bangs have brought me full circle.