"Christine-Moore-Howell" (March 19,1899-December 13,1972)

Christine was the daughter of entrepreneur William & Mary Adelaide William Moore,both natives of  Hillsboro,North Carolina.She had one sister,Bessie,and two brothers-Arthur C. & Willie.At some point William Moore,who was known as " Sport," moved to Princeton,New Jersey,and became a successful owner of a secondhand store located in three buildings on Spring Street.Students from Princeton University sold their clothes to him to earn enough money to finance their trips to New York City.In his business William also sold furniture and antiques,while Adelaide tended to the home and children.It was at this site that Christine would operate a beauty shop business and laboratory for twenty-eight years.


Christine was the first African American to graduate from Princeton High School.In 1919 she received a diploma from De Laurenberg's in Princeton.For professional study in beauty culture,she attended Warren's Institute in Pittsburgh,Knock's School of Beauty Culture in Philadelphia,and Nestlé's in New York City.She went abroad for further training and studied at Sidonia Institute in Paris. While there she also made a shop-to-shop study of beauty salons.Returning to the United States, she had special laboratory training in New Brunswick,under under the tutelage of chemist Louis Du Bois.She opened two unique businesses that became highly successful Christine's Beauty Salon,a skin care laboratory known as Christine Moore Corporation.Her modern laboratory,which she began to operate in 1936,adjoined her beauty salon,and she hired a capable chemist to manufacture the products that she needed.These included products for good grooming as well as those required for beauty culture work.She also conducted research in laboratory and aided in producing hair preparation and cosmetics for African Americans.Her line of cosmetics became known as Christine Cosmetics.Such products that were suitable for white clientele evolved and were sold mail order throughout the world.Altogether the laboratory manufactured eleven hair-care and beauty products.


Only highly trained,creative staff members who were skilled in the art of  enchancing womanhood regardless of race were hired in her salon.She had some middle-class African-American customers,her shop had great appeal to those on the white and African American social registers,many of whom were limousine driven customers.


For a while,African American customers were few in number,due to the fact that Christine's shop did not straighten hair as many African American women required.The shop specialized in permanent waves.In time,African American customers grew in number as Christine began to master permanent wave and offered more creativity in hair designs than she did when the shop first opened.Her laboratory developed a formula processing agent for African American hair,removing the curly appearance of characteristic of some type of  African American hair.


Her experiences as a beauty culturist,researcher,and businesswoman inspired Christine to write Beauty Culture and Care of the Hair,published in 1936.A textbook,the work was used in public vocational schools as well as private beauty schools.Christine helped to improve standards for beauty culture throughout the state of New Jersey.Having become familiar with her reputation,in 1935 Governor Harold G.Hoffman appointed her to the first New Jersey Board of Beauty Culture Control.The board,which she had created rules,and regulations for beauty shops and beauty culture training;issued licenses; and planned and moitored examinations that were given three times a week at the state department located in Newark.All beauty salons,whether white or African American owned and operated,were subject to board examinations.


The appointment came at a time when race relations in New Jersey were poor.The idea of appointing an African-American to a new powerful board aroused considerable protest among whites. As well,membership was extremely limited,with space for only five persons;people petitioned hard to gain one of the posts;and it was unthinkable to give one of those to a black.Quoted in Ebony magazine,Christine recalled:"The white people were  enraged because I,a Negro had gained the post.Ugly articles appeared in the Trenton Times." Christine dissuaded her friends from responsding to the attacks.She wanted to handle the matter her way,and she was determined to meet her board  responsibility to the best of her ability.This approach would allow her to "win the respect of those who felt the color of my skin disqualified me," she added.


Her work on the Board of Beauty Culture Control became a matter of record.After her initial appointment as acommissioner,she was reappointed three years later and altogether served on the board for fourteen years,from 1935-1949.Christine was elected chair of the commission and served four terms,a position that paid $3,200 as well as expenses.While serving as commissioner,Christine assisted New York and other states as they set up beauty culture departments.


The site of her business on Spring Sttreet in Princeton,New Jersey,is shown as the Christine Moore Corporation in Princeton High School's online publication PULSE.It is also one of Princeton's historic landmarks.She operated her business from the 1920s- 1940s.


In 1924 she married Edward Gaylord Howell,a native of New Haven,Connecticut,and a physician who devoted considerable time to study and treatment of alcoholism.He had had a medical practice in Princeton with a virtually all-white clientele.The Howells lived in New Brunswick,New Jersey,at some point reported had a residence both in Princeton and in New Brunswick.Their residence was a mecca for interracial activity,whether social or civic.Christine was a member of the New Brunswick Urban League,Princeton Group Arts,Inc.,NAACP,and the Links,Inc.