The Development of Cosmetology in El Paso: 1892-1970s.

Read more about the history of Cosmetology in the El Paso area. Click through the images.

-Joseph Longo

: In 1892, Madame Elsbach was operating was what was referred by the El Paso Times as a scientific parlor for scalp and skins. Elsbach offered scientific and medical treatments to treat skin problems and to grow hair. Elsbach also manufactured her own cosmetics including a massage cream to treat skins issues. Elsbach also sold her own eglantine rouge powder. Elsbach moved in September of 1892, to overland street from San Antonio street near the old city hall.

: Minnie B. Hazzard operated a salon that offered vapor and electric baths. There was only two hairdressers listed in the 1896-97 city directory

: in 1900, one hairdresser was listed in the city directory. In 1901 There were only two hairdressers listed, Also in 1901 there was a beauty parlor in the Wells Fargo Building downtown.

: By 1901, Aileen Berg a Swedish immigrant was running one of the successful beauty and dress shops in El Paso. Berg first shop was on 110 Texas Street. On September 24, 1901, the El Paso Herald wrote about the opening of Miss Berg’s at and Toilet Parlors. “Miss Berg art collection was admired greatly. She shows a rich array of foreign and domestic art goods and novelties and handsome specimens of terra cotta and alabaster statuary. In her toilet rooms are the latest appliances for message, electrolysis chiropody, manicuring, and shampooing”. By 1909, Berg opened another shop called “the specialty shop” on the little plaza, number 1 selling hats, hair goods, and other women clothing.

: Berg bought a farm that surrounded what is now Adelvinio’s Desert Crossing and built the restaurant iconic windmill and water tower built around 1909.

: In 1910. The Posener Beauty Salon opened in the Posener Building built by noted architect Henry Trost for Max Posener, owner of a successful Millinery shop. The building was on San Antonio street.

: Poesner’s Beauty Shop was renamed to La Mode in 1911.

: In 1913, Grace Benson a noted dermatologist set up shop in the herald building which was located in downtown El Paso.

: The Whitehouse Department Store also had a beauty salon and cosmetic department. Sep 23,1915 El Paso Times.

: By 1915. Elizabeth Weisert was running The El Paso School Beauty Culture which was in the Unique Theatre.

: By, 1915, Elite Hair Dressers was opened in the buckler building in downtown El Paso. It was owned by Mrs L.G. Towne and Mrs M.B. Hamill. Also in the buckler building in this year was the Rodriguez Sisters Beauty Parlor which was in the basement.

: By 1916, Anna Kincheloe and her sister operated the Allen Sister’s Beauty parlor. Anna came from the White House Department Store Beauty Parlor. Other Beauty Parlors in El Paso was Boyne and Bishop in the Herald Building, Marcy Prudy in the Buckler building.

: American Beauty Parlor was operation by 1917 it was located in the basement of the downtown Roberts-Banner Building. It was operated by Mrs Anna Brown and J.L. Quzts

: A newspaper ad for Duclo Beauty Parlor in 1918

: In 1919, The Del Norte Beauty shop was founded in the Paso Del Norte Hotel.

: Ruth D. Maurer created the Marinello Beauty Method and in 1904 founded the Marinello Beauty Training School. Photo Credit:http://collectingvintagecompacts.blogspot.com

: 1923 Marinello Beauty ad photo credit: www.cosmeticsandskin.com

: In 1912, Rose Fairbanks opened the first Marinello Beauty parlor in El Paso. The salon was dedicated to the Marinello system of beauty.

: Jan 5,1913 , El Paso Herald

: By 1922, Emma Capehart was running the Capeheart’s Beauty Shop, the only salon devoted to the Marinello Beauty System in El Paso at the time. The Marinello Beauty . Capeheart later bought the American Beauty Parlor which was in the basement of the Roberts Banner building. In 1929, Capehart established a beauty salon in the Five Points area on N. Piedras, the opening of the five-point beauty salon received national coverage by newspaper all over the county. When the new five-point shop opened Capehart believed that “commercial treatments have evolved into a counterpart of big business. Women these days visit the beauty parlor with almost the same regularity as the men have always heeded the services of their favorite barber. They have seen in the example of their increasing loveliness the benefits to be gained by regular appointments with a complement cosmetician and they in their responsiveness to a tested system of beautification are responsible for the ever-growing of the up to date services of modern shoppers”. El Paso Times Aug 6, 1929

: Capehart went on to prove herself as a bowling champion in her later years. El Paso Times Aug 6, 1929 April 3, 1958, El Paso Times

: In 1898, the B.J. Johnson Soap Company introduced a soap made out of olive oil and palms oil . A Product is still around today.

: In 1930 Capehart opened another salon in Kern Place. Capehart also taught classes in Marinello to young women. Capehart sold the American Beauty Shop to Betty Baird in 1929. By 1947, Capehart was at Jennie Shop on Elm Street. The Shop was owned by Jennie Calderella Richards.

: Emma Capehart took over Jack Ridenour Beauty Salon in 1941 in the First National Bank Building.

: Kathryn Griffin early operator of Vogue Beauty Shoppe, that goes back to at least 1927 or earlier. It was Ceder street in Five Points. El Paso Times July 30,1929

: In Nov of 1924, A new Beauty and Cometic department was opened at the Popular Department Store. El Paso Times Nov 9, 1924

: May 21,1926 El Paso Times

: Daisy brigance founded the first Salon dedicated to the Harper Method in the 1920s.

: Martha Malida Harper fouded Harper Method Beauty Parlors all over the county in 1888. Harper pioneered franchising and visited daisy’s shop in 1927. photo credit: National Women Hall of Fame.

: Jennie Richards attended St Mary’s Catholic School, and she trained as a hairdresser at the White House Department Store. In 1925, she opened her beauty shop in the front room of her home at Magoffin street. image credit: El Paso Times

: In 1926, Jennie opened “Jennie’s Beauty Shop” on 2710 East Yandell next to the first Coke Cola Bottling Company in Five Points. She operated the business for 40 years and retired in 1956. Before Jennie opened her shop in Five Points, many of the beauty salons were in Downtown El Paso. El Paso Times Jan 15,1940

: Jennie Calderella was born in El Paso in 1909. She was the daughter of Jack Calderella and Angela Barbaria. In 1898, Jack founded a meat market, and it eventually became a grocery store. Jack’s son, Ciro, took it over and ran it as a restaurant equipment store. Jack came to El Paso from Sicily and opened a grocery store on Myrtle Street. El Paso Times Feb 23,1935.

: Jennie started the shop with her the support of her first husband, Jack Thompson. They divorced and he gave up all interest in Jennie’s salon and founded his own beauty shop downtown.

: In 1933, Jack Ridenour opened his own beauty and barber shop El Paso Times Oct 18,1934

: Jack wife, Margaret Ridenour also owned a beauty shop in the first National Bank Building El Paso Times Aug31, 1938

: Alta Vista Beauty Shop might have been built in 1928 on 1213 N. Copia owned by Mrs S.E. Witt.

: Frances Dumas operated the Paramount Beauty Shop 1928.

: In 1931 the Manhattan Beauty Shop was reopened it was changed from Pierce Beauty Shop. It was located on 2107 N. Piedras. It was operated by a Mrs. Synder. It was reopened in 1940 by Alma Dewitt, Louise Nordman, and Esther Flin. Dewit also ran the Dewitt Permanent Wave Shop on 2800 Louisana street. Nordman opened her own shop on 2109 N. Piedras. Esther Flinn a one time nurse took over Self Valley Beauty Salon in 1947 on 5976 Alameda, then reopened it as Valley Beauty Salon on 5972 Alameda. Nordman also opened her shop on 2109 N Piedras.

: Della Foglesong operated her own beauty shop in the Caples building and also ran Hotel Paso Del Norte Beauty Salon in the 1930s.

: Oct 25,1942 El Paso Times

: July 17.1934 El Paso Times

: June 29,1936 El Paso Times

: Lee Self was a well known nationally hair dresser and instructor. He won many local and national owners. He started his career in cosmetology in El Paso in 1930.

: In 1938 ,Lee Self founded his first salon on Montana later moving to Kern Place.He brought this Kern Place shop from Anita Haynie who operated the Kern Place Beauty Shop in the 1950s . Halllie Self was wife of Lee, she continued running his beauty shop until her retirement in 1981.

: In 1938, the Tri-State College of Beauty Culture opened by Lucille Wellington and Lillian Brownfield on Mesa Street.

: It changed locations all over time. From Mesa to Yandell street. It then moved to Overland street then to Alameda.

: One of the locations was on 625 West Yandell, the structure is still up.

: Eva Weck, Maria Gonzales and and Laura Sosa founded Excella Beauty Shop in the 1930s on 718 North Stanton. Dolores Sosa also operated her salon .

: Lewis Stone and his wife operated a beauty salon on texas street in 1938.

: The stones opened a second shop in Bassett Towers in the 1940.

: Aug 14,1939 El Paso Times

: In 1941, Jean Taylor opened Jean’s Beauty Shop on Tularosa Street.

: Lou Telles operated the Lou’s Beauty Shoppe in the Abdou Building on Mesa street in the 1940s.

: Betty Mae Koyiol opened Up-Town beauty Salon in the 1930s.

: Lucille Simons ran a beauty shop on 702 Arizona Street then in 1937 she moved to Hotel Paso Del Norte.

: Betty Noyles ran and operated ran a Beauty Shop in Five Points but closed it down and sold it in 1946. Nolyes was a member of Accredited Beauty Culturist. Noyles also operated Rosedale Garden Shop. Nolyes was named the Southwestern Clubwomen of the Year in 1957.

: Merle Norman studio and cosmetic distributor established a shop in El Paso in 1936 operated by Myrtle Johnson. Its was the first location was in the Mills Building.

: Merle Norman founder of the cosmetic company visited el paso in June of 1938.

: Bessie Torrey owned Star Beauty Shop on N. Piedras and then headed the Merle Norman Comestics Studios in El Paso.

: Torrey opened Merle Norman Cosmetics Second Studio in the First National Bank Building in the 1940s.

: Merle Norman moved to Bassett Mall in 1978. Nov 15, 1978 El Paso Times

: El Paso Times Sep 22,1978

: Jean O’ Neal was one of the operator for the Beauty Salon in Lakeside shopping center in 1954. Feb 17, 1954 El Paso Herald

: Jean O’Neal and Clara Tessman was the beauty operators. O’Neal also ran the Manhattan Beauty Salon and later operated one in Ranchland Hills Shopping Center. Feb 17, 1954, El Paso Herald

: Laura Lynn took over full operation of the Tri-State Beauty School in 1960. She also opened a beauty school in Rushfair Center. Dec 8, 1964 El Paso Times

: Laura Lynn Opened her first salon in El Paso in 1955.

: D.S and his wife, Mignon Elmore founded the Chelmont House of Beauty in 1958.

: Mrs. Elmore was chosen queen of National Beauty Week sponsored by the National Association of Hairdressers in 1960.

: National Beauty Salon Week was a regular celebration of Beauty Salons in El Paso. Feb 11, 1965

: Deane Miller and her husband, Richard, founded the Velvet Door’s Beauty Salon and Cosmetics Distributors in 1968. Miller served as president and had two locations one on the Westside and later opened a new location at, 2041 Trawood street in East El Paso, in 1973. The first location was on Thunderbird street in West El Paso. The company also released a line of new cream called ” Velvet Mystique Revitalizing Cream” in may of 1968. The cream was a french formula originally created only for salon use. Miller promoted the use of turtle creams not just for women, but for men. Miller was supervisor of the White House Department Store Beauty and Facial Department. Richard Miller was President of the White House Department Store. Sep 29,1968, El Paso Times.

: Deane Miller addressing the El Paso County Historical Society Hall of Honor in 1983. Image Credit: El Paso County Historical Society.