Museo del Fohn

The Föhn Museum grew from the collection of Rapallo hairstylist Vittorio Mariano, who assembled about 120 historic hairdryers and documented their development in an illustrated study. The collection brings an everyday object into view as a part of design and social history.

Why it matters

Hairdryers transformed the work of hairstylists and the ways people styled their hair, yet the machine's history has received little attention. Mariano's collection preserves examples of the device alongside the names and stories of engineers and inventors associated with its development. The collection was assembled in the salon where Mariano worked, connecting the objects with the professional setting in which they were used.

What to notice

The documented collection includes about 120 machines, from early bulky models with heavy motors and standing hoods to handheld dryers and later professional tools. Together they trace changes in salon technique and fashion. Mariano's illustrated history places the development of the professional hairdryer in Chicago around 1911, earlier than the commonly repeated 1920 date associated with Racine, Wisconsin. His account also reflects a wider interest in the craft, including jewellery, fashion shows and works made from hair-like fibres.

Context and history

Vittorio Mariano began assembling historic hairdryers in Rapallo and displayed the collection in his Via Trento salon. A 2015 profile described visitors coming from Lombardy and Piedmont and noted a television feature about the collection. The museum's story remains closely linked to its founder and to his illustrated study of a tool whose place in everyday life has often been overlooked.