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Madam C.J. Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower product container

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@ The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

Description

Sarah Breedlove Walker (1867-1919), better known as Madam C.J. Walker, was a central figure in the development of the African-American market for commercial beauty products. Shortly after the turn of the century, she developed a formula for hair growth and steel straightening comb and ointment. Starting with door-to-door sales of these products, she built a business empire. Between her incorporation in 1911 and her death in 1919, her holdings included a factory, beauty schools and thousands of sales agents. Not only did the business bring her personal success, but it also opened up new job opportunities for African-American women as sales agents and Beauty Culturists." Madam Walker spent considerable time traveling, speaking, and supporting African-American causes. Among the institutions benefiting from her wealth were the Flanner House, Alpha Home, The Senate Avenue YMCA, and Bethel AME Church in Indianapolis, as well as the Tuskegee Institute, Mary McLeod Bethune's School, and the NAACP. She was also an outspoken opponent of discrimination and lynchings."
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Image
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Artifacts
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Record Contributed By

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

Record Harvested From

Indiana Memory

Keywords

  1. African American Businesspeople
  2. African Americans
  3. Businesswomen
  4. Cosmetics Industry
  5. Indiana
  6. Millionaires
  7. Walker, C. J., Madam, 1867 1919
  8. Women
  9. Women Capitalists And Financiers
  10. Women Millionaires
  11. Women Owned Business Enterprises

Related Content

Marguerita Ward Company, Inc. Twelfth National Convention of Madam C. J. Walker Agents, Indianapolis, 1937 Madame C. J. Walker, n.d Hartford Women in Business Project: Azua Echevarria Notes from interview with Mrs. Annie M. Pope Turnbo-Malone Madam C.J. Walker (driving) with (left to right) her niece Anjetta Breedlove; Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company factory forelady (manager) Alice Kelly; and Walker Company bookkeeper Lucy Flint Madam C.J. Walker (driving) with (left to right) her niece Anjetta Breedlove; Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company factory forelady (manager) Alice Kelly; and Walker Company bookkeeper Lucy Flint Ada "Bricktop" Smith, entertainer and nightclub owner, outside Café le Grand Duc, Paris Black women business owners Rosanna Wright, modeling African inspired clothing, at her clothing shop Bootstrings in Los Angeles, Calif., 1967 Gwen Gordy Fuqua, and Iris Gordy at Berry Gordy's party, Los Angeles Fashion Women of Kansas City group photo Ivenue Love-Stanley
Ruth Washington and others posing with a painting at the California African American Museum, Los Angeles, 1985 Crenshaw La Tijera Business Women's Association members posing for a group portrait, Los Angeles, 1982
Gordy family at Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles Gwen Gordy Fuqua and other posing together at a party, Los Angeles Transcript of interview with Sarann Knight by Yvonne Hunter, July 16, 1975
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