From the Archives: Mae Wilbour’s 1934 Beauty Business in Little Compton, RI

Advertisement from 1934 for Mae Wilbour, offering Hair Dressing, Cosmetic Therapy, and Multiple Electrolysis in Little Compton, RI.
Mae Wilbour taking appointments for hair dressing and cosmetic therapy in the pages of the Summer Locater.

Flipping through the historical pages of local publications offers a fascinating window into the daily lives, businesses, and style of Little Compton’s past residents. One charming snippet comes from a vintage advertisement featured in the 1934 edition of the Summer Locater, published by the Little Compton Village Improvement Society.

The advertisement highlights the services of Mae Wilbour, a local practitioner offering modern beauty and personal care treatments during the height of the 1930s summer season.

What the Advertisement Featured:

  • Mae Wilbour

  • Hair Dressing

  • Cosmetic Therapy (spelled Cosmetic Therepy in the original printing)

  • Multiple Electrolysis

  • Appointments: Phone 17-12

A Glimpse into 1930s Personal Care & Local Life

  • Local Roots: The surname Wilbour is deeply tied to the history of Little Compton, Rhode Island, so seeing Mae Wilbour offering services in town highlights the strong family-owned, entrepreneurial spirit of the period.

  • Early Telephony: Notice the phone number listed as 17-12. Long before 10-digit dialing or local area codes, rural phone networks relied on short local exchange numbers and operator assistance to connect neighbors!

  • Beauty Trends of the Era: During the 1930s, advanced beauty routines—from tailored finger waves and Marcel curling ("Hair Dressing") to skin care ("Cosmetic Therapy") and permanent hair removal ("Multiple Electrolysis")—were growing in popularity. Mae Wilbour’s advertisement shows that residents and summer visitors in Little Compton had access to specialized personal care right in their coastal community.

It’s small historical gems like this ad in the Summer Locater that remind us of how vibrant and self-sustaining our town’s local services were nearly a century ago!

This post contains an affiliate link. If you make a purchase through this link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the Little Compton Blog!

Location: Little Compton, RI, USA

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