Social History
Steamer, barber's towel steamer
This hot towel urn was used in the barbershop in the Palace of Westminster. Barber's shops offered a range of services including haircutting, shaving and wet or dry shampooing. A hairdresser working in a hotel in Boston, US, first offered hot towel treatments in 1878. After shaving he would steam the client's face with a hot towel, then massage with the fingers. The treatment was particularly beneficial to clients with skin problems and, by the 1930s, hot towel urns were a common feature in barbershops on both sides of the Atlantic.
- Category:
- Social History
- Object ID:
- 95.542
- Object name:
- steamer, barber's towel steamer
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- —
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- —
- Material:
metal (unidentified)
- Measurements/duration:
- H 490 mm, W 295 mm, D 240 mm
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.