Pictures of Vintage Dryers 2010-01-21 07:00:15

The blow-dryer: it's probably something you use several times a week, but have you ever stopped to give much thought about its origins? Invented toward the end of the 19th century in France, the first hair dryer was comprised of a bonnet that was affixed to a gas stove's chimney pipe. It wasn't until the 1920s that handheld dryers were invented and sold to the masses. From cases with hoses to dryers with futuristic-sounding monikers, take a look back into history, and check out a few vintage dryers now.