Open boundaries between the body and the environment

How does the boundary between inside and outside function? What perceptions is the skin capable of registering? What do skin and hair have to do with our self-image, and what cultural meanings are attributed to them?

Many cultures and eras have devoted a great deal of medical and cosmetic attention to skin and hair. As boundaries between what is “internal” and what is “external,” these two parts of the body have always been one of the most important focal points of beauty care and personal grooming. Beautiful skin and beautiful hair reflect youth, health, and prosperity.

The Schwarzkopf Collection—2,000 Objects from Three Millennia

The Schwarzkopf Collection is one of the largest special collections on the history of beauty care and personal grooming. It has been on permanent loan to the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum since 1995. The selection of objects on display in this room pertain to the history of the crafts and professions of the barber-surgeons, barbers, wigmakers, and hairdressers. The exhibits also artistically depict contemporary hair care and personal grooming and include fashion accessories and cosmetics that have been used to live up to cultural and social ideals of beauty.