Collections Database

[AC] Mead Art Museum at Amherst College; [HC] Hampshire College Art Gallery;
[HD] Historic Deerfield; [MH] Mount Holyoke College Art Museum; [MH SK] The Joseph Allen Skinner Museum at Mount Holyoke College; [SC] Smith College Museum of Art; [UM] University Museum of Contemporary Art at UMASS Amherst

Description:
Early 20th-century fashions for women revealed more of the body than at any previous time. Corresponding notions of beauty and gender emphasized a lack of body hair for women, and a wide range of products were marketed to that aim. This "shavette" shaver was one such product. By squeezing together the plastic handles of this device, a double row of blades scissored off unwanted hair on the neck, arms, underarms, and legs; much like electric razors do today. This shaver was purchased by the family of Russell K. James in the Shelburne or Buckland area of Franklin County in western Massachusetts. The shaver comes with its original plastic guard, printed cotton carrying case, box, instructional/promotional booklet, and the original price tag (69 cents).

Tags:
hairstyles; fashion; grooming

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2021.32

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.