Elizabeth Arden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth Arden
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Elizabeth Arden in 1939
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| Born |
Florence Nightingale Graham
December 31, 1881 Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada
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| Died | October 18, 1966 (aged 84) New York City, U.S.
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| Resting place | Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businesswoman (cosmetics) Racehorse owner/breeder |
Elizabeth Arden (born Florence Nightingale Graham; December 31, 1881 – October 18, 1966) was a clever Canadian-American businesswoman. She founded the famous company known today as Elizabeth Arden, Inc.. She built a huge beauty business in the United States.
By 1929, she owned 150 beauty salons across Europe and the United States. Her company sold 1,000 different products in 22 countries. Elizabeth Arden owned the company herself. At the peak of her career, she was one of the richest women in the world.
Contents
Early Life and Learning About Beauty
Elizabeth Arden was born on New Year's Eve in 1881. She grew up on her family's farm in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada. Her parents had moved to Canada from Cornwall, United Kingdom. Her father, William Graham, was Scottish. Her mother, Susan (Tadd), was Cornish.
Elizabeth Arden left nursing school in Toronto. She then moved to Manhattan to join her older brother. She worked briefly as a bookkeeper for a pharmaceutical company. While working there, she spent many hours in their lab. She learned a lot about skincare products. After that, she worked for a short time for Eleanor Adair, another early beauty expert.
Building a Beauty Empire
In 1909, Elizabeth Arden started a business with another beauty expert, Elizabeth Hubbard. Their partnership ended in 1910. Florence Graham wanted a special business name. She used "Elizabeth" to save money on her salon signs. She chose the last name "Arden" from a farm nearby. This is how the famous name "Elizabeth Arden" was created.
In 1910, Arden opened her first Red Door salon in New York. This salon became very famous and is still linked to her name today.
New Ideas in Cosmetics
In her salons and through her advertising, Elizabeth Arden taught women how to use makeup. She was a pioneer in many new ideas. She focused on making cosmetics using scientific methods. She also started the idea of "beauty makeovers." This meant helping women choose and apply makeup to look their best. She also helped women match the colors of their eye, lip, and face makeup.
In 1912, Arden traveled to France. She wanted to learn about beauty and facial massage methods used in Paris beauty salons. She came back with new rouges (blushes) and tinted powders she had created. She began to open salons in other countries in 1915.
In 1934, she opened the Maine Chance residential spa in Rome, Maine. This was the first place in the United States where people could go to relax and get beauty treatments. It stayed open until 1970.
In 1962, the French government gave Elizabeth Arden a special award. It was called the Légion d'Honneur. This award recognized her important work in the cosmetics industry.
Elizabeth Arden and Women's Rights
Elizabeth Arden was said to be a strong supporter of suffragettes. These were women who fought for women's rights, especially the right to vote. There is a story that she marched for women's rights in 1912. It is also a popular story that she gave red lipstick to the marchers. This was supposedly a sign of support.
However, there is not much proof from that time to support the lipstick story. Women in the 1912 march were told to wear a certain hat and white clothes. They were also encouraged to bring their children. This was to show they were responsible and simple. Makeup was not mentioned. At that time, bold red lipstick was often linked to theater performers. Even in 1920, Arden herself did not like "powder and rouge" that looked too obvious.
Horse Racing Passion
Elizabeth Arden was also very involved in Thoroughbred racing. This is a sport where special horses race. Her horse stable was called Maine Chance Farm. It was named after her beauty spa. Her stable owned many winning horses. One of them was Jet Pilot, who won the famous 1947 Kentucky Derby race.
Death and Legacy
Elizabeth Arden died in Manhattan on October 18, 1966. She was buried in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York. Her grave is marked with the name Elizabeth N. Graham.
See also
In Spanish: Elizabeth Arden para niños
