Explore Liverpool's love affair of hair in new museum display

From the iconic mop tops made famous by The Beatles to the unmistakable ‘curly blows’ that have defined the scouse look in more recent times, the display explores the connections between hair salons, identity and community.

Through striking photography and rarely seen images from the Museum’s own collections, Curly Blows, Cuts and Curlers is a fun look at Liverpool’s love affair with hair.

The display features the work of renowned photographers, including Alex Hurst, Abdullah Badwi, Paul Trevor, and The Caravan Gallery, each offering a distinct lens on the city’s salons, barbershops, and beloved ‘style queens’. Together, these photographs explore stories of family, fashion, pride, and place in a city that isn’t afraid to glow up.

Kay Jones, curator at Museum of Liverpool, said:

“It’s been a great experience delving into the Museum’s collections revealing amazing photographs which tell a multitude of stories about hair, identity, and the city.

“The images have really been brought to life incorporating the previously untold stories of people featured the photographs alongside the personal insights of the photographers inspired to take the shots.

“What is very apparent is the importance of salons and barbers in our communities bringing people together, whilst helping us to express our unique personal styles overtime, often in fun and outrageous ways!”

From barbers to high-street salons, Curly Blows, Cuts and Curlers is a series of 17 photographs that highlights the power of hair. It opens in the Museum of Liverpool’s Skylight Gallery on 3 October and is free to all visitors.