Starts:

Thursday May 15, 2025

    7:00 PM

Elizabeth’s talk, based on her latest book, Beyond Vanity: The History and Power of Hairdressing, will introduce to audience members the cultural power of hair by looking at the beginnings of hairstyling, entrepreneurship, and hair products in the United States in the late 19th century.

Trending styles of the seasons, from the pompadour to the Gibson Girl bouffant, worn by society women and actresses alike, will be highlighted. Haircare routines—dry shampoo was all the rage—are revealed in eyebrow-raising detail.

Elizabeth will speak in detail about the haircare and dressing secrets of society women in New York, including the Astor and Vanderbilt families.

A book signing will follow the talk.

• Learn the ins and outs of fashionable hairdressing in the Gilded Age

• Take a peek at the earliest hair salons

• Get the story of how (and how often) women washed and styled their hair