Barber and hairdresser history exhibition at Móra Ferenc Museum

An exhibition entitled "The History of Well-Groomed Hair" opened at the Móra Ferenc Museum in Szeged on March 1, 2024.

At the exhibition opened on Friday afternoon, visitors can learn about the tricks of hairdressers and barbers, the development of hairdressing salons, along interesting facts about changes in hairstyles. Furniture, advertisements, and iconic tools belonging to hairdressing and barbershops are on display. Visitors can learn about the chemistry and biology of hair, changes in hairdressing technologies, and the development of hairdressing workshops.

In the exhibition space, a retro hair dryer and an old hairdresser's chair have been set up as a selfie point, where visitors can take a seat and take photos or have their photos taken.

According to medical science, hair does not play an essential role in life, but at the same time, it is one of the most resistant parts of our body and has always played an important role in people's lives: the habits of wearing hair and facial hair have accompanied the history of mankind.

Since hair was considered dirty and polluting in many cultures, not just anyone could touch it: specialists were needed. From the 17th century, barbers working in public areas opened permanent workshops where only men were welcome.

It was only in the 20th century that women could leave their homes to take care of their hair for the first time so more and more hairdressing salons appeared in the big cities.

"The cultural history of hairdressing is not simply the history of a craft, it also leads us through the history of politics, history, emancipation, as well as the history of the chemical industry and fashion. Those who observe this exhibition carefully will not only look forward to fun moments and gain useful knowledge about the structure of hair, and changes in technologies and fashion but will also be faced with how ephemeral something we think of as natural and everyday-like can be," Ágnes Hansági, head of the department at the SZTE Institute of Hungarian Language and Literature, said while opening the exhibition.

Ottó Fogas, director of the Móra Museum explained in his opening speech that the "The History of Well-Groomed Hair" exhibit is an adaptation of the exhibition of the same name at the Kiscelli Museum in Budapest. The Szeged adaptation features local curiosities, like a perm machine from the Móra Ferenc Museum, puppets from the Kövér Béla Puppet Theater, and wigs from the National Theater of Szeged, among others.

The exhibition will be on display at Móra Ferenc Museum until August 31, 2024.

Photos: Szilvia Molnar / Szegedify