Gallery > Assemblage

Tightening Up The Kitchen
Tightening Up The Kitchen
Assemblagelage
12"x 11"x 3"
2026

The hot pressing comb—a metal tool used with heat to temporarily straighten coarse or curly hair—originated in 1870s France by hairdresser Marcel Grateau. It was revolutionized in early 1900s America by Black entrepreneurs like Annie Malone and Madam C.J. Walker, who adapted it with wider teeth and oils to style textured hair.