|
It all began when Ruth Maurer, wife of Dr. A.A. Maurer, a La Crosse, Wisconsin physician, cooked up a batch of face cream in a double boiler over a gas jet in the basement of her red brick home. Mrs. Maurer was certain big money could be made commercializing woman's ageless battle against the facial ravages of time.
This was 1903, before the days of radio and T.V. and beauty parlors and plush salons where today's tint, trim or curl are considered a must, and before the days of "Revlon", "Toni" or "Avon Calling".
 |
At that time shampoos were usually done at home with a bar of soap, usually tar, in a bathroom basin, or in less modern domiciles, the kitchen sink with its cistern pump. Curls, waves and touching up of tresses were accomplished in the chimney of a lighted kerosene lamp. The temperature was obviously not thermostatically controlled. The level of heat was determined by the hiss following a light touch of the curling iron tip with a moistened finger. |
Soon her products were distributed in every state of the Union, in Canada, Mexico, South America, England, throughout continental Europe, in Russia, South Africa, Australia, China and Japan and on islands in both oceans.
|
Marinello School Downtown Los Angeles, circa 1905 |
In 1905, Mrs. Maurer started a beauty school to develop trained and capable beauticians . Soon "Marinello Beauty Parlors" using La Crosse-made products sprang up in all parts of the country. The schools were named after Giovanni Marinello, the founder of Modern Cosmetology.
Marinello's Beauty School, Mission, CA 1967
Photograph donated by Dorinda Moreno to the San Francisco Public Library
In 1925 the establishment moved to New York as it was courted by investments. Then in 1963 Marinello Schools were purchased by Scope Industries and headquarters were located in Los Angeles. Since March 2004, Marinello Schools are under the ownership of B&H Education, Inc. located in Beverly Hills, CA and branches are operated throughout Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon,and Utah .
|
