Advertisement for the Poro System Scalp and Hair Treatment: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A cardboard sign advertising the “Poro” System Scalp and Hair Treatment developed by Annie Malone. The advertisement is white with a gold border. The product name is centered towards the top of the sign in green text that reads, [“TRADE / PORO / MARK” / SYSTEM] in green ink with the words [TRADE] and [MARK] printed vertically to bookend the word [PORO]. Below is green and yellow text in varying fonts, that read, [SCALP AND HAIR TREATMENT / 1st TREATMENT INCLUDING / 1 BOX “PORO’ HAIR GROWER .… $1.50 / FOLLOWING TREATMENTS GIVEN / Every 2 Weeks …. $1.00 / [ditto mark] 3 [ditto mark] …. 1.00 / More than 4 Weeks …. 1.00 / “PORO” HAIR GROWER / PER / BOX / .50 / AGENTS WORKING FOR LESS WILL NOT BE SUPPLIED / Mrs. Ann Pope Turnbo Malone / Poro Corner St. Louis, MO.]. To the left of the text are two graphics of a glass bottle filled with a yellow solution and a tin. The illustrated labels on the bottle and tin identify them as “Poro” Hair Grower products. There are two holes punched along the top, middle edge of the sign and a piece of string has been threaded through and knotted into a loop for hanging the sign. There is an inscription in pencil on the back of the sign.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: after 1917
• Distributed by: Poro System, American, 1902 - 1951
• Subject of: Annie Malone, American, 1869 - 1957
• Type: advertisements
• Medium: ink on cardboard with string
• Dimensions: H x W: 10 11/16 × 13 7/8 in. (27.2 × 35.2 cm)
• Place printed: Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Advertising
• Topic: American West
• Topic: Business
• Topic: Hair
• Topic: Women
• Object number: 2016.90.3
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: No Known Copyright Restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.