Karl Nessler

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Karl Ludwig Nessler (*2 May 1872 in Todtnau; †22 January 1951 in Harrington Park (New Jersey, USA)) was the german inventor of the permanent wave.

Karl Nessler was the son of a shoemaker from Todtnau,located in the Black Forest, just beneath the Feldberg. He gets the idea for the perm early in his youth. He begins an aprenticeship which he drops. He the moves to Geneva to a barbermaster Busam and calls himself Charles Nessler. Later he moves on to Paris where he tests his first perm on a certain Katharina Laible. It takes three tries during which he burns Laible. He moves to London marries Laible and changes his name to Nestle. His attempts to convince his English collegues of his invention fail. When the First World War breaks out he is interned and his property confiscated. In 1915 he flees to the United States where he has to learn, that copies of his invention are already sold. He developes a do it yourself kit for perms and opens a chain of hair saloons with 500 employees. He raises to considerable wealth but looses almost everything on the Black Friday. His attempts to regain his losses are hindered by the breakout of the Second World War and never really succeed.

On 22 January 1951 Karl Nessler dies in Harrington Park, New Jersey

Persondata
NAME	Nessler, Karl Ludwig
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	German inventor
DATE OF BIRTH	1872-05-02
PLACE OF BIRTH	Todtnau
DATE OF DEATH	1951-01-22
PLACE OF DEATH	[[Harrington Park, New Jersey]]