Do you remember the Mount Pearl Curl? - Tuesday's #FolklorePhoto

You may remember Kerri Rodden-Kemp from Kilbride who appeared
on The Ellen Degeneres show with her big hair from 1989.
Photo courtesy of CBC Newfoundland and Labrador.

This week I did some follow up interviews from our Mount Pearl Memory Mug Up events which took place at the local library. Debbie O'Rielly who grew up in Mount Pearl in the 1970s and early 1980s described her memories of playing games, going to school, and visiting the local shops. She also explained the system of trails she would play on as a child and later as a teenager used as a hangout spot. Debbie also mentioned some of the major changes and the growth she has seen in the community over the years.

Aside from childhood memories there was one particular thing I had to ask Debbie about and that was the origin of the Mount Pearl Curl. Debbie explained that the phenomenon started a couple of years after she graduated high school but she explained the process of creating the famous Mount Pearl Curl. In the clip below you can learn how to recreate the style with the help of a lot of hairspray and a textbook.



Do you remember the Mount Pearl Curl?
Do you know how this hair trend started or how it spread?
Better yet, do you have photographs?
Let us know in the comments or email terra@heritagefoundation.ca!

~Terra Barrett

Folklore Photo: Vintage Curling Tongs

 

Curling irons, also known as curling tongs, create waves or curls by using heat to manipulate the hair for a short period of time. Ancient curling irons date back over 6000 years and were simply rods of iron or bronze heated over an open flame. They were used to curl hair, beards and wigs.

The first patent on a curling iron was made in 1866 by Hiram Maxim, who also happened to be the designer of the machine gun. In 1872 hairdresser Marcel Grateau invented the "Marcel Wave" and designed an iron to achieve this style in 1880.

Advertisement in The Evening Telegram, May 18, 1907

The temperature of early irons was very hard to control and women often burned their hair and skin using them. The electric curling iron was invented in 1959 by Rene Lelievre and Roger Lemoine and allowed for temperature control. This electric curling iron revolutionized hair curling as it allowed for more consistent curls and waves and reduced the risk of burns.

   

The vintage curling iron featured above is owned by Georgina Mercer of Bishop's Cove and had once belonged to her grandmother. This style of curling iron was heated over a wood stove or oil lamp. In order to protect hair from burning, women would often use brown paper as a protective barrier between the hair and the iron. Some women placed the iron directly on the hair, only using the paper to test the heat of the iron before use. Mercer explained to me that the only time she used this iron was on her grandmother's hair and she nearly burned it right off her head!

-Nicole