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The Orchid Beauty Shop
(Georgia)
When I opened the door of the Orchid
Beauty Shop. I was greeted by the two operators in their freshly laundered
orchid uniforms, with a cheerful "Good morning, what can we do for you?."
I explained my visit, and asked if they would be kind enough to tell
something about their business and and how they run their shop? They
answered with a pleasant grin, and said, "Business has 'Gone With the
Wind.' But we will tell you about our shop. Stay around with us for a
while and you will see how the day of a beauty operator goes.
We open at nine A.M. and close at five thirty, except on Mondays and
Friday evenings, when we stay open late for the benefit of the girls that
work and can't get here during the day. And we are usually very busy on
these evenings, for we have a good many customers among the business
girls.
Our work is not so easy as most people think it is, for it keeps you on
your feet all day, except for the time that it takes to give a manicure.
Yet we like our work, for we meet so many new people, as well as our
regular customers. And we do have such nice customers! It is a pleasure to
wait on them. We each have our special customers that call for us, but if
either of us are busy and they run in without an appointment, they are
good sports, and will let the first that can get to them do the work.
And we have customers from out of town also, in fact we get a good
business from the small towns. We like our customers and appreciate them.
And when they keep coming back to us, then we feel like that we have been
able to please them. And we also have quite a few men among our customers,
for more men patronize the beauty shops than you would think. All of our
customers seem to like our shop, and come to see us, even if they don't
need any work done. And one, the daughter of a banker says that when she
opens the door of our shop that it is just like coming into a friendly
home.
The door opened, and a girl came in saying, "Did you ever know me to be on
time, I am late as usual and in a hurry to catch the bus to Atlanta, as I
am going home today. Can you fix me in time?" Assuring her that she would
be ready in plenty of time, one of the operators started to getting her
ready for a shampoo, set and manicure.
As she washed her head, they carried on a friendly conversation. And the
other operator said "how do you like our color scheme in our shop?" I
looked around the shop and noticing that the dressing tables, chairs,
cabinets, as well as cushions were all done in orchid and black. It was
lovely and I said so, and asked here what gave them the idea for that
color scheme?
She laughed and said, "well I hardly know or remember now, But back in the
first of 1933 when I was planing for a shop of my own, I decided that I
would use these colors. I went to Molors Beauty College in Atlanta Ga.
After finishing the course there, I went to Thomaston Ga. and run a shop
for a woman there over a year. Then the death of my step-mother brought me
home.
"After that I was needed at home, and could not go back to my work. I
worked at home giving shampoos, finger waves and some permanents waves, as
I had an old machine. Then one of my friends completed a beauty course,
and we decided to open a shop of our own. We rented this place, or at
least part of it, for $10. a month.
"Neither of us had any money, and it was a job to plan to go in business.
My brother is a cabinetmaker, and he make our tables, chairs, supply
cabinets as well as our display cabinets. We did the painting ourselves
and how we worked to get things just as we wanted them! But as I have all
ways heard, where there is a will, there is a way, and even before we were
ready for our formal opening, my customers that I had been waiting on,
were coming to the shop begging us to do their work.
"It was on May the fourth, 1933, that we had our formal opening. We did no
work on that day, just intertained our friends, and served ice cream and
cake. She laughed and said, "And it was what you call home-made at that,
for we baked the cakes, made the cream, and of course the furniture was
made by my brother. But we are still using them, and they look as well as
you will find in any beauty shop.
"Our other equipment consisted of one old shampoo outfit, an old model
dryer, and my old permanent waving machine. We borrowed fifty dollars to
make a payment down on a new machine, but of course it did not get here in
time for our formal opening. Our friends remembered us with flowers, every
table, windows, and most of the floor space was filled with baskets and
vases of the most gorgeous spring flowers. It was a happy day for us.
" Oh, how did we decide on the name? Well a salesman did that. He was in
getting orders for our supplies, while we were painting, and he gave us
many suggestions that were of a great help to us, as well as the name for
our shop. We were discussing a name, and he said, "With your color scheme,
I can't see how you can very well call it anything else except, The Orchid
Shop," so he was the one that realy named it.
"It was a hard pull for us, for we had so many expenses, and of course we
also had to live on what what we made. But we aorked hard, built up a good
trade, and in December of the same year, we had to have another operator.
And that is when Miss Richards came with us. And she has been here since
that time. She bought an interest in the shop, and the three of us owned
it together. And you want to know how we managed about the salary? Well,
there were three of us. We divided the money in fourths. One fourth was
for the shop. And the other for us. Some times we had to put more in for
the shop, but we divided our salary even between us.
"But now we have a very modern shop, equiped with all the very latest
equipment. We traded in all of the old machines for new ones, and we keep
up with the new equipments, as well as attend all the beauty show, for
that is something that is necessary to keep up with the new ideas and
different styles in our line of work. Miss Richards and I own the shop
now, as the girl that went in with me at the beginning, has married and
left town the first of this year. We bought out her part of the shop. Yes,
we realy miss her, but as business is dull now we are able to manage
without having any one else at the present time.
Two more customers came in, and she
excused herself to wait on them. The telephone was continuously ringing.
Customers [??] making appointments for the week end, and especially for
Friday evening. As I looked around the shop from where I was sitting a
very comfortable chair near the circulating heater which furnished the
heath for the shop, and made it very comfortable.
The reception room was very simply furnished, but comfortable. An
overstuffed settee took up one side of the room, and the telephone sit on
a small table at one end of the settee. By the large double windows was
the very modern manicure table on rollers, so that it can be be rolled
over to the dryers, [?] the customers [?] get their manicures while their
hair is drying.
The latest type of Hoffman dryers with comfortable ARM CHAIRS under each
dryer are provided. At one side is a magazine rack with all the latest
papers and magazines in it. The reception room is separated from the other
room by an archway, and I had a good view of the room, It contained three
dressing tables; two of them were placed together, and a long mirror went
over both of the tables. By the large windows was a small table with a
radio on it. At the other table was a large regular barber chair for
cutting hair.
The shampoo basin and its comfortable reclining chair, was at one side of
the room. On one side of it was a table of shampoo solutions and rinses
also a small cabinet for towels. On the other side was a large cabinet
with towels and shampoo aprons. On the top of it was bottles of finger
waving solutions. It was all very clean and attractive. The permanent
waving machine was in one corner of the room, also a small dryer.
The two dressing table with the large mirror, had small shelves on each
side. These were filled with the different kinds of cosmetics that are
used in their work. There were also curling irons that are used for marcel
waves. Everything was placed where it was convenient for operators, as
well as the customers.
The girl who was in a hurry to get a bus out of town, came and sat down
near me, and said she still had a few minutes and would cool off a little
before she went out in the cold. I do like to come here, they are so nice
and friendly with every one. And then to they do such grand work. I feel
like that I am just right when they get through with me. But I must get
out or I will miss my bus, telling the operators good bye, and thanking
them for their good wishes for a very pleasant visit, she was gone.
As they fixed the last two customers under the dryers, the door opened and
a woman came in, with one arm in a sling. They seemed very happy to see
her, and as they removed her coat and hat for her, told her how they had
missed her, and were so glad that was able to be out again. She was early
for her appointment, and said she wanted to rest for a while. They pulled
a chair near the heater, and placed a cushion for her arm to rest on
before they went back to their other customers.
They customer said to me, "Aren't they nice, but then they are nice to
every one. Why we can send our children down here and never worry about
how they will get the work done. For they can do more with the children
especially in giving them a permanent, than we can, and the children all
like them.
The two ladies were out from under the dryers, and after their hair had
been combed for them they went out. A very young girl, dressed in a dark
wine colored suit came in. She didn't have an appointment, but wanted to
know if they could give her a shampoo, set, and manicure, as she had to go
to a party that evening.
They told her that they could, and one if them gave her a shampoo, while
the other one gave the woman with a broken arm a hot oil treatment. As
they was busy with them a woman came in and told them that she was
expecting her son to meet her there after school, and she had some more
shopping to do, and if he came before she got back, to tell him to wait on
her.
As the young girl was placed under the dryer, the manicure table was
rolled in front of her, and by the time her hair was dry, the manicure was
finished, and she was ready to go. The other customer was given a manicure
while she was under the dryer also, and they used great care in working on
the hand on the arm that was broken. As she went out they said, "How about
lunch? Will you eat with us? We fix our lunch here in the shop. They
laughed as I looked around, and said, come on we have another room that
you haven't seen yet."
They opened a door at one side of their work room, and we went in another
large room. It was also done in orchid and black. It was another work
room, as they called it. It had a shampoo basin, dressing table and
permanent waving machine. Also two large supply cabinets, also one for
their uniforms. As they opened up these cabinets to show them to me, one
was for solutions for their waves, as well as the pads that were used with
it.
There supplies of every kind used in their work. And in side of one of the
cabinets, was a few dishes, pans, percolator, caned goods, crackers,
bread, and things that would be easy to fix a lunch. And on a small table
was an electric plate and grill. I asked if I might get some thing for the
lunch also. They hesitated, and then said, well we would like for you to
just eat with us, but if you had rather it will be all right.
We planned what we were going to have. I went out and bought some
barbecued meat. They made coffee, heated soup and toasted bread. When I
got back with the meat they had set a table near the fire, and every thing
was ready. They didn't have any appointments for an hour, and as we ate
our lunch, they talked about their work and their homes.
One of them said, "We do have such nice customers, and we try to be nice
to them, and we will not use anything on them that we would not use on our
ownselves. Some of the cheap solutions we do not have in our shop. We
guarantee all of our work and to do this we have to know what we are
using. Therefore we use only the best. Oh, yes! We have had to turn down
work on that account. But we will not give a cheap permanent. Some times
it is alright, and then again it is not, and the hair will be ruined. It
just does not pay.
At first some of our customers could not understand this, but after they
tried the cheap work, and then our work, they didn't want any more of the
cheap waves. And we have built up our business on our work. Our
out-of-town customers are nice, they also want the best, and hardly a week
passes that we do not have an invitation out to some of their dances or
parties. And when it is possible we accept these invitations for we really
enjoy them.
We both have to work hard, for we have to help support our families. My
Father's health is bad, and I have my sister and her little girl to help.
I hope to be able to send her through school. I went through high school
and then had to go to work. But My father sent all of us, my sister and
three brothers through high school, and I hope that I can at least do that
much for my little niece. Her mother keeps house for us and looks after
our Dad. But I have a very pleasant home, and we have our friends in for
cards and dinner. And when I am at home in the day time I like to work in
our flowers, for I like flowers of all kinds, and then it is not any
trouble to get away for a day on Sundays in the car. And we very often do
that.
Miss Richards has lost her Father, and she and her brother are trying to
send their younger brothers through school. So you see we have our
obligations to meet. But we very often go to a movie after we close the
shop or play cards with our friends and some times with our customers. And
our shop hours are such that we can get away for the week end in our car,
and be back in time for work on Monday morning.
But the past month has been the worst one that we have had since we have
been in business. Of course it is always dull right after Christmas, but
never so bad as the past month. Our busiest times are, just before Easter,
for the ladies must have their hair fixes for the new Easter bonnet. And
fall of the year is good. But the last week before Christmas is when we
are rushed to death.
We also get quiet a bit of work form the school girls when they are
planning for their dances and entertainments. And especially during the
summer, for there is always something being planned for the summer school
girls. But business is not what it use to be. One thing is because there
are so many beauty shops here. Athens is not large enough to support them
all. Yet I guess we do fairly well considering the dull season and so many
shops, besides the operators that do this work in their homes.
We try to keep our prices in range with the other shops. But what hurts
the shops, is the operators in their homes. They do not have the overhead
expenses of a shop, and therefore can do the work so much cheaper than we
can. And of course that helps the people that do not feel like they can go
to a beauty shop.
Most of our work is done a cash basis, but we have our charge account for
some of our regular customers, and it is not often that we lose any thing
in this way. But we have lost a little that way. We have a good line of
cosmetics that we can recommend to our customers, and sell a great deal of
it. But we do not recommend any that we would not use ourselves, and our
customers have confidence in what we recommend.
Yet after all, I guess we have made good with the start we had in the
beginning. For we opened our shop on a credit, borrowing the money. And
from just enough equipment for one booth, we have as you see three rooms
well equipped with modern machines. Our rent has increased from the
original $10. to $25. a month. Our gas, electricty, and water are
reasonable for the amount that we use.
We have a maid that comes in and does the cleaning after she gets out of
school. She is just a girl, but she is very smart, and we hope later that
we can keep her all the time. We only pay her a dollar a week, and some
items more especially when she works all day on Saturday. But we help her
with her clothes for school. She is well satisfied and wants to stay with
us.
As the old saying goes, we still count our pennies, for we put aside
enough to take care of our shop, before we take any for ourselves. Of
course since there are only two of us, it will mean more each way. But
when there were three of us we seldom drew under $16 or $18 a week but
some times it is less and some times it is more, but it all amounts to how
much business we do. But as I said we still take care of the shop, and pay
our bills promply.
We do not belong to any union, and if there is one here we have never
heard of it, and we keep in touch with all the other shops. During the
summer, we cooperate with the other shops and the stores, by closing one
afternoon during the week. And when there was three of us, then we each
took one day a week off during the dull season. This gave us a rest, and
also a chance to do any work that we might want to do at home.
And we will have to plan a little different this year for our vacations.
We have each been taking two weeks off. But one [?] can't run the shop I
guess we will have to just get some one to work while we take our
vacations. But that is a long time off isn't it, and I guess that we had
better get our dishes cleared up, for it is about time for appointments.
And one of them is a young man.
It did not take long to get our dishes washed up and put away. I had
really enjoyed the lunch and told them that I did. Miss Richards said, "We
do this often. Of course when we are busy we can't do it. But we enjoy it,
and we are glad that you ate with us, instead of going out to lunch.
Sometimes we have customers that like to eat with us. And they very often
send us candy that they make, and some of our customers send us cakes, and
they are delicious.
The door opened and a man came in. I thought it would be the man customer.
But it was a salesman from one of the supply houses. They asked him why he
was late, that he should have been here two days before, that they
couldn't wait, and had already ordered. He laughed and said, "Well I am
sure the order went into our house just the same. For I know what you
girls use, and we are the only people that carry the best." They laughed
but admitted the order went to his house. He talked a few minutes then
thanking them for the order, He went out.
Miss Goss said, "He was right at that, we get what we think is our very
best solution from him. But we also get supplies from Atlanta, and South
Carolina, too. And there is hardly a day passes that we do not have a
representive from one of the supply houses. It is not often that they let
us have to send the order ourself."
As she finished talking two customers came in, and one of them was a man.
I was very anxious to see what work he would have done. He had a shampoo
and manicure, and was quite particular about a manicure. More so than any
of the ladies had been especially about the polish. After he had left the
other customer made a comment on seeing a man in a beauty shop. The
operators told her that they had several regular customers among the men.
Everyone that came in the shop seemed very much at home, and there was a
friendly conversation among them all. The lady came back to meet her son.
He came in and showed his report card to them all. It was a very good
report and he was congratulated on it. His mother said she was afraid that
it wouldn't be so good this time, as he had lost so much time while he was
sick. They went out to finish their shopping, leaving his books in the
shop.
The telephone rang and one of the operators answered. She said, "I am
sorry but I will not be able to take any more appointments for today.
would you like to come tomorrow?" That was evidently agreeable, for she
said, "All right I will put you down for 9:30 in the morning. Turning to
me she said I hated to do that but we do not take more than we can take
care of, and I don't feel that people like to sit around and wait. It is
to tiresome."
As she waited for her customer to get her hair dried, she said," We are
going out to a bridge party to night, and know that we will enjoy it. And
this week end we are going out to an old country square dance. You should
go with us sometimes to one of these, for you would enjoy it. We work
hard, but we also like to get out and enjoy life. And I think every one
should get a little pleasure as as work."
I knew that they would have no more time for me, as it would keep them
busy until it was time for them to close their shop. And I thanked them
for the story and for the pleasure of having lunch with them. Telling me
good-bye they said, "Come back to see us again. We have been glad to have
you with us."
McCune
Feb. 1-1939
Finished, Feb. 6-39
The Orchid Beauty Shop
144 1/2 Clayton Street
Athens,Georgia.
Where Beauty is Assured.
Owned by Miss Farrie Emerick and Miss Edna Seagraves.
Text from: Library of
Congress, Manuscript Division, WPA Federal Writers' Project Collection
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