Not Just a Pretty Face

Not Just a Pretty Face is an online exhibit curated by Emma Griebner as the culmination of her museum internship at the Nabb Research Center. The exhibit concept was inspired by vintage beauty advertisements and magazines in the Nabb collections and an interest in finding out more about the role women played in the beauty industry.

Some of the most prominent women in the field were Madam C. J. Walker, Helena Rubinstein, Elizabeth Arden, and Lydia Pinkham. They set the tone for health and beauty in an era when women weren’t fully represented in society.

Included in the exhibit are archival items from the Nabb Center's Mary Anne Pieper collection and local newspaper articles that demonstrate how beauty products were advertised on the Eastern Shore. 

Hopefully, the exhibit will provide viewers with a better understanding of how these women persevered to revolutionize the world of beauty and that they weren’t just pretty faces.