The Marcel Irons...

 

 

 

Marcel Grateau (1852-1936)

 

 

 

In 1872, Marcel had introduced his famous Marcel wave using a heated iron that imitated the natural curl of the hair. Hot tongs were applied to produce a curl rather than a crimp. Done at intervals over the head, the hair would assume the look of moiré.
 It revolutionized the art of hairdressing all over the world. The Marcel wave remained popular for almost half a century and helped usher in a new era of women's waved and curled hairpieces, which were mixed with the natural hair.

Curly hair was meant to indicate a sweeter temperament, while straight-haired girls were considered reserved or even awkward. A woman's hair was profoundly important to the overall effect she was able to make. Reaching the age when the hair could be put up was a rite of passage in her life, and often there were several interim stages, where a plait would be loosely put up with a ribbon, to signify the coming event.  Mute the silence: Victorian Hairstyles. 2013.  - Mute the silence: Victorian Hairstyles. [ONLINE] Available at: http://mute-the-silence.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/victorian-hair-styles.html. [Accessed 28 October 2013].

 

The difference between a Marcel and a typical curling iron is that most curling irons are spring-loaded; you open the clamp, and the clamp opens, you let go of the clamp, the clamp closes. A marcel curling iron usually consists of a shell, a curling barrel, and one barrel with a rotating handle. The benefits of a Marcel iron include more freedom to the user; without the spring, the user is responsible for “clipping” the hair to the iron (thus the name). The Marcel is usually used by professionals because users have total control.

Although Marcel curling irons can be tricky to maneuver at first, once you grasp the technique, you can truly create the professional curls that you desire. - Who’s Marcel?! | Vodana. 2013. Who’s Marcel?! | Vodana. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.vodanapro.com/whos-marcel/. [Accessed 28 October 2013].