Table of Contents
Scope and Contents of the Collection
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Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Beall, Glenn. |
| Title: | Glenn Beall Comb Collection |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1830s-1930s |
| Quantity: | 7.5 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | Collection of antique and modern plastic hair combs. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: |
Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center |
Biographical History
Glenn Beall is an engineer, consultant, educator and editor in the fields of plastics design, processing, and education. He owned and operated his own company, Glenn Beall Engineering, Inc., from 1968 to 1993. and holds more than 35 patents. He has lectured, written, and provided consulting on many aspects of plastics design, and has held leadership positions in the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) and Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI).
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Glenn Beall Comb Collection contains functional and decorative hair combs dating from the mid-19th century to the early 20th. Almost all are compression-molded of hard rubber (also known as vulcanite), although there are a few examples of other materials and techniques. Several have decorations of glass or jet beads. The donor's original identification numbers (for example "Comb, No. 5") are given below, and all descriptions are based on information provided by the donor.
Arrangement of the Collection
Items are physically arranged as appropriate based on size. They are listed in the inventory below in numeric order, both of the donor's original number and internally-assigned ID numbers.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Subject Headings
Persons
Subjects
Genres and Forms
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Glenn Beall Comb Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
Gift of Glenn Beall, 2019.
Finding Aid Information
Created by: MRC
Date: 14 Mar 2019
Revision history: 17 Jun 2019 - processed (MRC);
19 Nov 2021 - five combs, four barrettes added (DTF)
Inventory
| Combs | |||||||||||
| Oversize 5 | Comb, No. 5 1860-1880 - India Rubber Comb Company; silver header with vines and flowers; sterling silver bridge, hard rubber fabricated teeth (ID#: beall_combs_001) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Comb, No. 1384 1860-1880 - six teeth, curved, with raised dots; gutta percha or hard rubber, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_002) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Two-tooth comb, No. 1453 circa 1860 - three black faceted stones (glass or jet) and metal crescent on header, 2 round teeth; black hard rubber?, fabricated (ID#: beall_combs_003) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Nit comb, No. 1473 1900-1925 - fine teeth on both sides, "HER MAJESTY" in center; hard rubber?, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_004) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Comb, No. 1576 1870-1880 - India Rubber Comb Company; five teeth, slightly curved header with oval decoration; vulcanite, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_005) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Back comb, No. 1799 1900-1920 - mid-Victorian, decorative swirls/vines with three large black faceted stones; gutta percha?, compression molded with hand-cut teeth (ID#: beall_combs_006) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 5 | Hair preserving comb, No. 1862 - Peterson's Patent Comb Co., Dublin, Ireland; curved wide-spaced teeth; vulcanite (i.e., hard rubber), compression molded, with original box (ID#: beall_combs_007) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Comb, No. 2280 1860-1880 - India Rubber Comb Company; completely plain, no decoration; hard rubber, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_008) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Pair of two-teeth combs, No. 2294 circa 1860s - two 2-teeth combs or hairpins, each with three faceted jet beads; hard rubber teeth, fabricated (ID#: beall_combs_009) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Comb, No. 2543 1880-1910 - straight header, 7 blunt prongs topped with faceted jet beads, several broken teeth; hard rubber, compression molded with machine-cut teeth (ID#: beall_combs_010) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Comb, No. 2544 1880-1910 - straight header, 8 faceted black glass beads; hard rubber, compression molded with machine-cut teeth (ID#: beall_combs_011) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 4 | Comb, No. 2690 1880-1910 - curved header with small squared-off oval relief decoration; hard rubber, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_012) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Six-tooth comb, No. 3010 circa 1860s - curved header with rod tipped with faceted black beads; hard rubber, fabricated header, compression molded comb (ID#: beall_combs_013) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 5 | Three-tooth comb, No. 3011 circa 1860s - curved header, round black beads and metal flowers (some have come loose), hinged; hard rubber, fabricated header, compression molded comb (ID#: beall_combs_014) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 4 | Four-tooth comb, No. 3012 1910-1930 - offset teardrop-shaped header, no decoration; hard rubber, fabricated, originally black but bleached to light tan (ID#: beall_combs_015) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Comb, No. 3013 1860-1880 - curved header with curved teardrop-shaped section, reddish-brown; hard rubber, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_016) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 4 | Comb, No. 3014 1870-1890 - curved header with 11 raised teardrop shapes, reddish-brown; hard rubber, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_017) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Comb, No. 3015 1870-1930 - curved header with five large oval depressions, dark greenish-brown; hard rubber, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_018) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 3 | Back comb, No. 3522 1910-1930 - pierced header with vines/leaves; hard rubber, fabricated from compression molded sheet (ID#: beall_combs_019) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 5 | "Revelation" comb, No. 3353 1903-1905 - Harburg Rubber Comb Co., Germany; grooming comb, 58 teeth, black; hard rubber, compression molded with original box (ID#: beall_combs_020) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 3 | Five-tooth comb, No. 3354 1880-1910 - curved header, 9 faceted black beads on small blunt prongs; hard rubber, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_021) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 3 | High back comb, No. 3355 1890-1930 - large ornate header, pierced and with relief design; hard rubber, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_022) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Comb, No. 3356 1890-1930 - curved header resembling large chain links, 7 teeth, hinged, brown; hard rubber, fabricated header with compression molded teeth (ID#: beall_combs_023) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Comb, No. 3357 1890-1930 - curved horseshoe-shaped header extending to bottom of teeth, 9 faceted black beads (glass or jet), hinged; hard rubber, fabricated and compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_024) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 4 | Comb, No. 3358 1890-1930 - curved header, spiral-wrapped rod with three round black beads, 20 teeth; hard rubber, fabricated header and compression molded teeth (ID#: beall_combs_025) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 4 | Utility comb, No. 3359A - 7" grooming comb, fine-tooth at one end, larger at the other end, hot-stamped "ACE" at center, black; hard rubber, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_026) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Utility comb, No. 3359B - 5" grooming comb, fine-tooth at one end, larger at the other end, hot-stamped "ACE" at center, black; hard rubber, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_027) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Comb, No. 3360 1870-1930 - tall header with rounded points resembling a crown, 9 teeth; hard rubber, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_028) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 3 | Back comb, No. 3361 1890-1920 - curved header, 7 decorative protrusions resembling top hats, 7 teeth; hard rubber, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_029) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 5 | Back comb, No. 3362 1890-1920 - 9-pronged header originally topped with 9 beads (missing when donated), 10 teeth; hard rubber, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_030) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 5 | Back comb, No. 3363 1880-1910 - curved header with diagonal ridges and rounded bumps, 7 teeth; hard rubber, compression molded (ID#: beall_combs_031) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 6 | Five-tooth comb, unnumbered 1880-1910 - the crown may be gutta percha, but the teeth look and feel more like hard rubber (ID#: beall_combs_032) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 6 | Four black hard rubber barrettes, unnumbered 1880-1910 - two small bar barrettes, one round barrette, and one unmarked large barrette (ID#: beall_combs_033) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 6 | Eight-tooth comb, unnumbered 1880-1910 - reddish brown compressed molded hard rubber (ID#: beall_combs_034) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 6 | Seven-tooth comb, unnumbered 1880-1910 - reddish brown compressed molded hard rubber (ID#: beall_combs_035) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 6 | Six-tooth comb, unnumbered 1880-1910 - reddish brown compressed molded hard rubber (ID#: beall_combs_036) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 6 | Nine-tooth comb, unnumbered 1880-1910 - the crown may be gutta percha, but the teeth look and feel more like hard rubber (ID#: beall_combs_037) | ||||||||||