Martha Matilda Harper
Personal Information
Born: 1857
Died: 1950
Country of Birth: Canada
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: White
Education
took a few classes at University of Rochester
"The purpose of the Harper Method is to bring out the inner beauty of each patron, not to sell "hope in a jar"."
— Martha Matilda Harper
Professional Life
Field of Study: Entrepreneur; Inventor; Cosmotology
Institution/Corporation: unknown
Degrees & Memberships: Member Rochester Chamber of Commerce
Awards & Achievements
Awards: 2003, National Woman s Hall of Fame; 2003, American Business Hall of Fame
Achievements: Launched modern retail franchising; invent reclining shampoo chair; social entrepreneurship; built an international network of 500 franchised hair salons, emphasizing healthy hair care & eschewing harsh chemicals; business was customer centered & included things like child care & evening hours; 1880 opened the first public hair salon in Rochester, NY called The Harper Method Hair Parlour; the method was a 2-hour process that included scalp & shoulder massage,facials, hair dressings & other proceedures to promote hair growth & stimulate blood flow; operated training schools to train franchise owners & operators her methods; first 100 franchises went to poor women & franchises were only available to women, preferably those who had been servants; pioneered flexible financing; never patented her reclining shampoo chair or cut-out sink; allegedly patented Moscana Toniqued hair formula but no patent was located; her franchise model included centralized management, quality control & independent operators; 1st female member of Rochester Chamber of Commerce
Invented the reclining shampoo chair
Initiated the concept of professional "salon" & franchises
Didn't marry until she was 63; her husband, Robert McBain, was 24 years her junior
Created her own shampoos in a shed
Her father sent her to work as a domestic servant for relatives when she was 7; worked at that for 22 years
Her floor-length hair was an effective marketing tool for her hair tonic
The 1st 100 franchises of her company were given to poor women; all 500 franchises were owned by women
Her salons offered childcare & featured products largely made with natural products; she didn't use synthetic dyes or do chemical perms
Among her customers were British Royalty, susan B. Anthony, Woodrow Wilson, Grace Coolidge, Joseph & rose Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, George Bernard Shaw, & Ladybird Johnson
Never patented her reclining shampoo chair, cut-out sink, or hair formula