Madame C.J. Walker Hair Tin

1910, ca.

This tin of “Wonderful Hair and Scalp Preparation” represents Madame C.J. Walker’s innovation and the life-changing opportunities she offered Black women in the early 20th century. Drawing inspiration from her time in St. Louis, Madame C.J. Walker developed this hair and scalp ointment to help Black women restore their natural hair. As her small operation grew into an empire, she employed over 40,000 Black women. Selling Walker’s tins empowered these women to leave their jobs as cooks, sharecroppers, or laundresses and to become self-sufficient business leaders in their communities. This product also enabled Madam C.J. Walker to become one of the first Black millionaires. This tin remains a symbol of opportunity in an era where few other business possibilities existed for women of color.