20 Vintage Beauty Salon Photos That Capture Style in Another Era

Two women with curlers in their hair sit under vintage hair dryers at a salon, wearing capes and chatting; one looks surprised while the other smiles. The image is in black and white.

These vintage photos show what beauty salons once looked like, from towering hair dryers to timeless style. Step back to a time when a trip to the salon meant curlers, gossip, and a little glamour. This nostalgic collection reveals how fashion, friendship, and self-care all came together under one perfectly teased roof.

1. A Stylist Blows a Bubble While Perfecting a Towering ‘Do in a Busy Hair Salon in New York, 1970s

Black-and-white photo of a busy hair salon, with women styling and drying a seated woman's large, voluminous hair. Other clients and stylists are visible working in the background. The scene is lively and vintage.
deathakissaway/Reddit.com

2. ‘The First Licensed Female Hair Stylist, Jeanne Devereux, Photographed While Shaving a Customer, 1927’

A woman in a white dress and pearl necklace smiles while cutting a mannequin's hair in a vintage barbershop or salon, standing beside a barber chair draped with a white cloth.
dannydutch1/Reddit.com

3. Two Women Sit Under Hair Dryers While One Reads a Magazine

Two women sit under vintage pink hair dryers at a salon. One reads a magazine, while the other gestures with her fingers and looks away. Both wear patterned dresses and have their hair wrapped in nets.
TipAccomplished5215/Reddit.com

4. ‘Getting a Manicure While Drying Hair at Francois de Paris, a Hairdresser on West Eighth Street, in New York City, 1942’

A woman sits under a vintage hair dryer in a beauty salon, wearing a dark dress with a brooch. She receives a manicure from another person, with beauty products and tools visible on the table.
UserDeleted/Reddit.com

5. ‘Ladies Under the Dryers in a Hair Salon in the 1960s’

A row of women sitting under vintage hair dryers at a salon, wearing capes and reading newspapers or magazines, with their legs crossed and feet resting on stools.
JAdaire/Reddit.com

6. A Young Woman Gets Her Hair Dried by What Looks Like a Pretty Intimidating Machine, 1925

A woman sits with her hair blowing back, eyes closed, in front of a large, vintage contraption with multiple nozzles, likely an early hair drying machine, in a sepia-toned photo.
MalibuHulaDuck/Reddit.com

7. Women Sit Beneath a Row of Early Dryers in a Beauty Parlor, 1920s

Four women sit in a row under large, vintage hairdryers with metal ducts in a salon, likely from the early 20th century. One woman reads a newspaper while the others sit quietly, towels draped over their shoulders.
eudice/Reddit.com

8. Because Why Not Give Fido a Perm as Well?

A black-and-white photo shows a large dog and a woman sitting side by side under vintage hair dryers at a salon, while a child sits nearby as the woman reads a book.
NelvisAlfredo/Reddit.com

9. Getting a Trim at Mrs. Wheeler’s Barber Shop in Colorado, 1950s

Two barbers cut the hair of two smiling men seated in barber chairs inside a barbershop. A sign on the window reads "Mrs. Wheeler’s Barber Shop." The scene appears to be from an earlier era, possibly mid-20th century.
UserDeleted/Reddit.com

10. Perm Machine or Brain Scan? Getting a Perm in the ’50s Was No Joke

A young girl sits in a salon chair with curlers and wires attached to her head while a smiling woman stands nearby, operating a vintage perm machine in a retro beauty salon.
MyDogGoldi/Reddit.com

11. ‘Barber in Tijuana, Mexico, 1978’

A young boy sits in a vintage barber chair, covered with a white cape, while a barber trims his hair. Their reflections are visible in the mirror behind them, and the barbershop interior is warmly lit.
AxlCobainVedder/Reddit.com

12. ‘Woman and Poodle in a Beauty Parlor in New York City, 1964’

A woman sits under a salon hair dryer reading a magazine, with a fluffy white poodle beside her on the chair. Two other hair dryers are visible in the background. The scene is in black and white.
UserDeleted/Reddit.com

13. Just More Terrifying Contraptions Seen at Your Average Beauty Parlor in the ’40s

A nurse adjusts a large, intricate machine with many wires and clips attached to a woman's head, likely for a vintage hair treatment or perm, in a black and white photo. The woman sits calmly beneath the device.
BaronVonBroccoli/Reddit.com

14. ‘Young Woman Getting Her Hair Done, 1960s’

A hairdresser styles a seated woman's hair in an elaborate updo. The seated woman wears a salon cape and has dramatic eye makeup. The stylist, wearing glasses, focuses intently while using a comb. Black and white photo.
UserDeleted/Reddit.com

15. That’s One Way To Straighten Hair at the Home Salon, 1960s

A woman with long hair rests her head on an ironing board while another person uses a clothes iron to straighten her hair; curlers are visible in the background. The scene appears to be from a past decade.
jocke75/Reddit.com

16. ‘A Traveling Beauty Parlor in London, England, 1930’

Two women provide a roadside beauty service next to a car; one styles the other's hair while she sits in a chair holding a mirror. Signs on the car read "Stop Me! Roadside Beauty Service.
wadeybb/Reddit.com

17. James Dean Pictured at a Barber Shop in New York, 1955

A young man sits in a barber chair with a cape draped over him as a barber trims his hair in a busy, vintage-style barbershop filled with customers and mirrors.
jeremiah2911-/Reddit.com

18. Multi-Tasking Goals: A Row of Ladies Sit Under Hair Dryers While They Sip Coffee, Read Magazines, and Get Their Nails Done

Four women sit under vintage salon hair dryers; one reads a magazine while another gets her nails done by a staff member. Small tables in front hold tea and other items. The setting appears to be a mid-20th-century beauty salon.
TipAccomplished5215/Reddit.com

19. You Can Almost Hear the Gossip if You Look Close Enough

Three women sit in a row at a salon under vintage hair dryers. One holds a book, another looks sideways, and the third has her hands over her mouth. All have towels or nets on their heads.
TipAccomplished5215/Reddit.com

20. Elvis Presley Getting a Fresh Cut at Jim’s Barber Shop in Memphis, Tennessee, 1956

A young man sits in a barber chair reading a magazine while a barber trims his hair. The setting appears to be a classic barbershop with mirrors and bottles visible in the background.
zadraaa/Reddit.com

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A black-and-white yearbook photo collage featuring three men and three women, all with 1970s-style hair and clothing, posing and smiling for individual portraits.
Robloxianxs/Reddit.com
Author
Alina Wang

From Queens, New York, Alina has a Bachelors degree in Corporate Communications from CUNY Baruch and enjoys writing and creating content on a variety of topics, including lifestyle, politics, and, of course, wealth trends. Find her on X @atlasseventeen