Prior to the twentieth century, a woman with straight hair who desired curls had to spend hours heating curling irons over a flame or sleep with rags and pins in her hair in order to achieve waves.

If she could not attain the desired result this way (or tired of the short-lived effects) she may have used false hair pieces instead.

But beginning in the 1920s, women born with flat locks saw new hope for attaining long-lasting curls.

Through the promise of science, rather daunting contraptions like this late 1930s permanent wave machine offered "permanent" results via a combination of chemicals and electrically heated clamps.

This display is located 

on the second floor of the

Dekker Huis / Zeeland Museum

M A I N S T R E E T