logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
30m 8s

The History and Power of Hairdressing | ...

TALKS AT GOOGLE
About this episode

Award-winning author and historian Elizabeth L. Block joins Google to discuss her book, “Beyond Vanity: The History and Power of Hairdressing.” She explores the diverse history of women’s hair, from the cultural power of hair in 19th century America to the untold stories of business owners and trendsetters. Through her research, we see the places and spaces of hair that allow a new understanding of its immense cultural power. 

Elizabeth is an art historian and a Senior Editor in the Publications and Editorial Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. She holds a PhD in art history from the City University of New York, an MA in American Studies from Columbia University, and a BA in English and art history from The George Washington University.

Watch this episode at youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle.

Up next
Aug 5
The Co-Intelligence Revolution: How Humans and AI Co-Create New Value
A new industrial revolution is here – not one defined by automation and the substitution of human intelligence, but by co-intelligence, where human ingenuity and AI collaborate. Authors Venkat Ramaswamy & Krishnan Narayanan join Google to discuss their book, The Co-Intelligence R ... Show More
1h 10m
Aug 1
Jeff Probst | Survivor's 20-Year Success Story
Jeff Probst, Host and Executive Producer of Emmy Award-winning CBS show Survivor, joins Google for the show's 20th anniversary. He discusses everything from how he got his start with this “crazy social experiment” to what has made Survivor so successful. He even shares the moment ... Show More
52m 15s
Jul 29
Bobbi Brown | Beauty Inside & Out
Bobbi Brown, beauty industry titan, world-renowned makeup artist, and author, joins Google to discuss her entrepreneurial career and her beauty philosophy: “The secret to beauty is simple: be who you are.” As a professional makeup artist, Bobbi created 10 simple lipsticks that ev ... Show More
38m 57s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
PRETTY CURIOUS | Is Gilded Age Hair So Big Because It’s Full Of Secrets?
Think Gilded Age hair is super 19th century? Uhhh - think again! The hairstyling practices and salon culture that we’ve come to know today draw major inspiration from the American salons of the Gilded Age (which of course drew inspiration from the French salons across the pond…vi ... Show More
37m 54s
Dec 2018
Kellie Jones, "South of Pico: African American Artists in the 1960s and 1970s" (Duke UP, 2017)
New York City might have been the epicenter of the twentieth century American art scene, but Los Angeles was no slouch either, writes Kellie Jones in South of Pico: African American Artists in the 1960s and 1970s(Duke University Press, 2017). Dr. Jones, Professor of Art History a ... Show More
49m 8s
Sep 8
Photographer Yumna Al-Arashi: Yemen, Identity, and Challenging Perceptions
A captivating episode with Yemeni-Egyptian artist Yumna Al-Arashi who discusses her upbringing in Washington D.C., the impact of the 2017 executive order (often referred to as the "Muslim ban") on her family, and how her art explores themes of identity, feminism, sexuality, heali ... Show More
53m 56s
Aug 2022
Arts and Education with Twiggy Boyer
In this episode of the Artist Business Plan we sit down with Twiggy Boyer, founder of Photo Trouvee Magazine to discuss her approach to arts education. Learn about the way she started her own arts magazine and how the market changes internationally when you tune into this lovely ... Show More
20m 43s
Jul 11
An Interview with "Gernreich Girl" Barbara Flood (Dressed Classic)
In this 2021 episode, Barbara Flood joined us to discuss her passion for fashion that spans her 1960s and 70s modeling career as a "Gernreich Girl" into the present day. Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion? Our website and classes Our Instagram Our bookshelf with over 150 o ... Show More
45m 23s
May 2025
American Girl Dolls | 136
During the 1990s a doll that taught kids about American History became a major force within the crowded toy market. The 18 inch historically accurate dolls were expensive and only available by mail order, but they managed to capture the imagination of an entire generation and in ... Show More
27m 5s
Nov 2024
Veronica Keller and Sabrina Mittermeier, "From Broadway to the Bronx: New York City’s History through Song" (Intellect, 2024)
From Broadway to the Bronx: New York City’s History through Song (Intellect, 2024) tells the history of New York City in song across a variety of different genres that the city has been home to and instrumental in developing, covering everything from early twentieth-century sheet ... Show More
56m 40s
Aug 6
Claire McCardell: The Girl Who Defied Dior, Part I
Called the "designer's designer," Claire McCardell turned the American fashion industry on its head starting in the 1930s with her fresh modern take on sportswear. This week we examine her career and legacy in a two-part episode from 2022. For additional reading, check out Elizab ... Show More
39m 50s
Jun 2019
For Elizabeth Diller, New York City Is Beginning to Feel Like One Big Punch List
When Elizabeth Diller graduated from Cooper Union with a degree in architecture in 1979, she had no intention of necessarily becoming an architect. In fact, the Polish-born, New York–raised Diller chose architectural studies simply to explore her interests in art and physical spa ... Show More
1h 19m
Nov 2023
Cities that turbocharged art history
From Renaissance Florence and ancient Babylon to the kingdom of Benin and Heian-era Kyoto, cities across history have served as launchpads for extraordinary outbursts of artistic flowering. Caroline Campbell, director of the National Gallery of Ireland and the author of The Power ... Show More
31m 28s