Killer beauty: who invented the enameling procedure, and what sad consequences it led to (7 photos)

Beauty until old age... Isn't this the dream of all women? times? In pursuit of elusive youth, beauties agree to the most wild procedures, and even willing to pay for them.





But the price of such dubious help is such that not everyone can pay.

False Hopes from Madame Rachel



The standard beauty of the Victorian era

“My dear, you will be beautiful. So beautiful that you don't You will be able to take your eyes off your reflection. And men of all ages they will wring their necks trying to look at you.” Promises like this this mysterious woman - a witch, sorceress or fairy?

In the 1860s, British women had a very wide range of beauty options. meager. After all, interference in the natural course of things is categorically not was encouraged. Queen Victoria was shocked by the growing popularity cosmetics: in her opinion and the opinion of all respectable ladies, cosmetics were vulgar and extremely indecent, only actresses and prostitutes. As a result, many women prepared their own cosmetics and homemade creams. And those who bought beauty products they did it under the counter, away from prying eyes, like spies.





Madame Rachel

Only wealthy society ladies with a lot of money could afford an exclusive visit to the mysterious "ladies" "reconstructor" or "rejuvenator" working in Mayfair at the time. Her name was Madame Rachel from house number 47a New Bond Street. The impostor who called herself "Her Majesty the Queen's Cosmetics Seller" promised her clients that she would make them “beautiful forever!”

But in her charming oriental boudoir with latticework screens, luxurious oriental pendants on the walls, splashes of the fountain and with the heavy crimson curtains they found something much darker. Beneath her slick, charming manners was a ruthless swindler. and a fraudster who has made a career out of lies, betrayal and being deceived the hopes of their victims.

Eternal beauty



The advertisement is engine of the trade

Madame Rachel was known in the world as Sarah Russell. The lady acted modestly life as a rag-picker, then became the owner of a fried fish stall in the market Clare.

In moments of special need, she told fortunes for pennies in brothels Covent Garden. In the 1850s she started producing and selling hair dyes; the success was so great that she quickly switched to a more profitable market and began working as a beautician on Bond Street. deft Rachelle's marketing phrase "Forever Beautiful" attracted thousands clients who are willing to pay for cosmetic products that, like asserted the cunning lady, were created on the basis of secret recipes the beauty of ancient Arabia and harems.

Reduce sweating, remove bad breath, whiten skin, eliminate acne, tighten your bust? Rachelle could do anything. But its crowning glory industry has become a special procedure with an obscure but very intriguing title.

Enameling of women's faces



Isn't this a miracle?

Aristocratic pallor was the trend of the time. AND Rachelle invented or, more precisely, refined existing techniques. Target the procedure was banal and obvious - to give the face and chest smoothness and clear white porcelain for a special ball, dinner or event yard The effect of this could last, as Rachelle claimed, for up to a year. IN her competent advertising campaign elevated enameling to the rank of almost occult art, which she said promoted health and beauty, grace and youth.

But it wasn’t cheap: the average price for enameling a lady’s face was twenty guineas - approximately £1,500 current rate. The method was quite simple: thorough hair removal and fluff on the face and bust using various lotions, then generously use of alkaline toiletries, filling wrinkles and hollows on apply a thick white paste to the skin, and finally apply blush and powder. But the composition of the magical remedy was very, very controversial and even dangerous: in it included such chemicals as caustic sublimate (highly toxic mercury salt), prussic acid, lead carbonate and even arsenic. This cocktail could easily provoke chronic inflammation of the skin and even lead to death when using large quantities. Nevertheless, Rachel's desperate, gullible clients told her They believed and came to her in crowds.

The self-proclaimed enamel artist named her competitors scammers and skillfully used psychological techniques: you won’t fall for procedure, you will sit dull, gray, boring, like a mouse under a broom. And you will never get married.

Muddy insinuations



End of story

And the gullible poor things went to Rachel as if under hypnosis. Of course, about the dark deeds of creating light skin in house No. 47a Rumors began to circulate around Bond Street. It was rumored that this place was used as a meeting house for society ladies and their lovers. Even darker insinuations were related to the fact that therapy Madame Rachel included the provision of abortifacients especially ladies in need.

Kara still caught up with this clever swindler. Madame Rachel twice brought to trial for fraud - in 1868 and 1878. AND served two prison terms. The woman died in prison in 1880, not repenting of his actions to the end and continuing to assert that only she masters the secret art of making women “beautiful forever.”



The site of the enameller's salon in New Bond Street still stands today. building that now houses a fashion shoe store, and her home around the corner on Maddox Street has recently been renovated.