Beauty and fashion are, and forever will be, intertwined. While the art of designing clothes is an engaging phenomenon in and of itself, it becomes an absolute marvel when it’s blended with the many intricate wings of beauty. One of those wings is the splendor of hair and its powerful effect. To that end, there was one woman in particular who understood that power was none other than Martha Matilda Harper, an entrepreneur and inventor who harnessed her intelligence as a businesswoman to launch the modern retail franchising system.
The Dawning
Born to a poor family on September 10, 1857, in Ontario, Canada, the only thing known about Harper’s childhood is that her father sent her to work as a domestic servant for her aunt at the age of seven. She grew her skill through the years and carried it with her when she left for Rochester, New York, at age twenty-five. It was during her time working for a wealthy family that she met a physician who, after taking notice of her interest in hair, gave her the formula he concocted for healthy hair growth before his untimely passing. Harper would then refine this formula by inserting her own health-conscious ingredients, then using herself and her mistress’s friends as successful guinea pigs before taking the great leap forward and taking her career to new heights.
Innovation & Vision
With her entire life savings of $360, Martha Matilda Harper opened a beauty salon in 1888 in central Rochester. To better attract her target audience—posh, upper-class women—she did her best to craft her image by hiring a private tutor, then attending classes at the University of Rochester, where women could listen in on evening and weekend classes. Legend has it that soon after opening her shop, a music teacher moved in next door. Harper offered to use her salon as a waiting room where students’ mothers would get their hair done while waiting. This was rather innovative at the time because, before Harper, hairdressers would do their clients’ hair at their homes rather than in a public setting. Even more, Harper offered unique accommodations for her customers, including childcare during appointments and evening availability for women in the workforce. She incorporated the reclining shampoo chair (which she is credited with inventing but failed to patent) and used her own floor-length hair in her advertisements. From there, her clientele steadily grew until, in 1892, she began franchising her business—gradually granting her female employees the opportunity to sell her brand and gain entrepreneurial skills and independence. Harper trained the employees herself, in a course lasting several weeks for experienced salon owners and six months for newcomers.
A Hidden Star
Her brand soon spread across the country, and then internationally to Canada, France, Germany, and England. At its peak, her star-studded clientele included Susan B. Anthony, Jackie Kennedy, George Bernard Shaw, Joseph P. Kennedy, and many more. But what made Harper’s franchise—which totaled about 500 salons by the 1930s—so different from any of its contemporaries (or successors) was that a woman owned each salon. While there were male employees (and customers) littered throughout the Harper Network, women always remained at the helm.
Harper, unfortunately, had no children to pass the torch to, but in her later years, she ran the business along with her husband until she predeceased him on August 3, 1950.
History has rightfully celebrated the achievements of women like Madam C.J. Walker, Annie Turnbo Malone, and Elizabeth Arden. Yet it stays mum about a woman who not only predates these ladies but also made powerful strides in her own way. From crafting new inventions to pioneering franchising and sharing her success with the women around her, Martha Matilda Harper’s groundbreaking feats deserve long-overdue recognition. But, as more and more gems are uncovered from the past, perhaps some true shine will finally be cast on this talented soul and the diligent path she worked hard to pave.
If you’d like a more detailed account of Martha’s life, you can get her biography by Jane R. Plitt here.
XOXO,
Your Fashion Bestie
