Seeing Stars at the Beauty Salon of the Edgewater Beach Hotel

By: Sue Baker Schumer, Mt. Prospect, IL

I remember my late Aunt Pat Baker telling me she used to work for the Emil Rohde Beauty Salon in the Edgewater Beach Hotel during the 1930s and 1940s. Mr. Rohde was a well-known hairdresser/beauty expert and the salon was frequented by the famous stars who used to perform at the EBH. My aunt recalled that comedian Georgie Jessel used to come to the salon for a manicure and used to flirt with the manicurist. (He was a “ladies’ man,” as my aunt said.) And my aunt did the famous singer Kate Smith’s hair and was very proud of that.

Aunt Pat also did the hair of a blind lady who lived at the hotel for several years. Her name was Kathryn Fadner. At one point, maybe around the late 1940s, the lady decided to move to Palm Springs, California, and invited my Aunt Pat to come live with her as a companion/helper. So my aunt left Chicago, but always spoke fondly of working at the EBH.

Editor’s Note: The Edgewater Historical Society is interested in any information or recollections about the hair salon. You may contact us by Snail Mail or through our Web site.