Max Factor’s origins go back to October 11, 1908, when he opened a tiny shop at 1204 South Central Ave on the edge of downtown L.A. He called it “Max Factor’s Antiseptic Hair Store” and he specialized in made-to-order toupées. He later expanded into makeup, and 20 years later, he moved into this building at 1666 N. Highland Ave, south of Hollywood Blvd just before the Great Depression hit. This is how the building looked in the late 1920s/early 1930s. In 1935, he gave the building a complete makeover and added an extension, which is the building we know today as the Hollywood Museum.
This is how the building looks now. This image is from December 2020.
I used to walk past this building walking from the bus stop at Santa Monica and Highland when I proctored civil service exams at Hollywood High for the City of LA back in the 1980s. I always loved it. In retrospect, Max Factor made a good decision when he moved away from “antiseptic hair” to make-up!
I’d never heard that expression before – “antiseptic hair” – sounds horrible! And it was a smart move. Only a small percentage of men wear toupees but nearly all women wear makeup.