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~~"Want to be an actor? Call Mr. Factor!" ~Original lyrics from the song Hooray for Hollywood~~
~This photo from the Hollywood Museum website *The lobby~
Hello! As usual, I have been missing you all! I am so excited about sharing this post with you. A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to go to the Hollywood Museum with my Best Friend. I specifically wanted to go for a Jean Harlow exhibit that is on display there celebrating what would be her 100th birthday, little did I know what gold lies inside those doors. The museum is located in the historic Max Factor Building and I was awestruck from the moment I set foot in there!
The Max factor building is a gem that sits right off of Hollywood Blvd. just steps away from amazing places like the Roosevelt, El Capitan, and those famous footprints in the forecourt of Sid Grauman's Chinese theatre. Stepping through the heavily marbled entryway and into this historic building was like stepping back in time to the 1930's and that glorious Golden Age of Hollywood.
~The "Brownettes" Soft Peach colored room. Judy Garland is featured here~
The lobby is basically unchanged from those golden days. It is a polished Art Deco jewel, a rose colored oasis of endless lavish marble, crystal chandeliers, soft hues, and tropical palms. The Max Factor studio contains four special celebrity make-up rooms, each designed to bring out the best in women of a particular hair color: The first is marked "For Blondes Only" (and is done in shades of blue); another for redheads (in mint green), for brunettes (rose pink), and the brownettes (pale peach). These special rooms have been painstakingly preserved, and are complete with the original make-up chairs, lighting, furnishings, and multi-angled mirrors. They are also outfitted with display cases full of notable clients personal make-up and personal belongings. Some of the legendary clients featured are Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Rudolph Valentino, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, Lucille Ball, Claudette Colbert, Norma Shearer, and Bette Davis. I was inches away from Joan Crawford's false eyelashes (used!) Marilyn Monroe's bustier, and Elizabeth Taylor's belongings.
Sitting in the makeup chair
It is said that Jean Harlow's hair was first dyed platinum in these rooms and that the color was created specifically for her, as is the story with Marilyn's hair, Joan Crawford, and Claudette Colbert.
One of Judy Garlands pairs of Ruby Red Slippers from the Wizard of Oz
I cannot even begin to scratch the surface of what this incredible museum contains and the history behind Mr. Factor and his empire. There are endless incredible pieces of Hollywood history here. The Marilyn Monroe collection alone is worth it. I am going to do a separate post just on her memorabilia at the museum tomorrow. They have a Mae West collection, Elvis items, Lucy and Desi, Shirley Temple, Clara Bow, Carey Grants Rolls Royce....Really it is endless! So, instead of boring you with more photos and my rambling I will leave you photo from the Jean Harlow exhibit I originally went to see. Until tomorrow! XOXO!
~~~All photos taken by me and property of Paris Atelier unless otherwise noted~~~
