Maybelline undisputed giant during the Great Depression and still is

Maybelline ad, 1936

As the Great Depression continued through the 1930's Maybelline cornered the market in eye cosmetics. No other cosmetic company enjoyed more confidence and higher regard among the trade and had the envy among competitors as did Maybelline. Tom Lyle’s policy for perfection and his reputation for fairness set him apart and above all others in the field. Even his competitors agreed, there would never be another man like Tom Lyle Williams or a company like Maybelline. His sensitivity allowed him to see how women were affected by his advertising strategies. By 1939, Tom Lyle was at the top of his game. He was the most important executive in the cosmetic business. He never became selfish, egotistical, or self serving and his kindness and spirituality never ceased to exist.  Maybelline became known as "The Little Company that Could!"

 

1933 Maybelline Ad.

Tom Llye Williams, believed that a woman’s greatest asset was her ability to capture a man’s imagination through her expressive eyes.

Empowered for the first time since the Victorian era, women discovered a passion for imitating stars who exuded sex appeal on the screen.

Maybelline provided an inexpensive eye beautifier that enhanced a woman's sex-appeal while movies mirrored  celluloid forgeries professing  nonconformity with old world standards.  As Movie stars became models for America's changing values, Tom Lyle threw Maybelline in the dime stores in 1933.  As startup-cosmetic-companies failed, or were bought up by Tom Lyle, Maybelline became the undisputed giant in its field, during the Great Depression and still is today, 103 years later.

Maybelline cousins,1934, during the Great Depression

Left to right - Bobby, Dick, Tommy, Marilyn, Shirley, June, Allen, Billy, Neppy, Helen, Tom Jr and baby Joyce in Chicago in 1934.

Though times were uncertain during the Great Depression, the Maybelline family worked and played together.  They were known as a tight knit tribe., They loved playing cards at each other's homes on Friday night and Sunday picnics after Church. 

My father, Billy Williams, loved Spring time at his Auntie E, and uncle Ches' home in Chicago.  He'd romp around with his cousin's June, Marilyn and  Bobby,  when he wasn't at Dundee Military School.  

Auntie E. made everything fun.   Her gaiety and charm was infectious and her laugh could light up a room.   Uncle Ches ran the distribution part of the Maybelline Company and was always ready with a quick joke or a good song.   He'd pile the kids in the car and thought nothing of cruising them  up and down Michigan Ave,  just for the fun of it.

Billy and his cousin June were best buddies.   They loved playing house by throwing a sheet over the kitchen table and crawling underneath it. Auntie E made sure they had homemade snacks and their favorite toys. 

Occasionally the whole gang joined up at Auntie Mabel and uncle Chet's home for Sunday dinner.   Bill and his cousin Shirley, liked to dress up and play Doctor and nurse,  while little Tommy volunteered to be the brave young patient getting shots.  Baby Joyce was just an infant in her mother's arms in 1934,  but she too joined in as she grew up. 

Auntie Mabel's wonderful home cooking was well known in the family and her hugs and kisses gave Bill a real sense of  stability.   Mabel was the Mother figure of the Williams family; sweet, modest and never overbearing or grandiose like Billy's mother,  Evelyn, a true city girl.  Auntie Mabel was naturally beautiful though not a glamour puss, like auntie E and Evelyn. However she was Maybelline's namesake and Tom Lyle's inspiration for his eye beautifier, soon to be coined Mascara in 1935. 

Mabel wore pencil thin eyebrows, had flawless skin and a smile that would melt your heart.  She represented motherhood, apple pie and America. Auntie Mabel's husband  uncle Chet was in charge of producing Maybelline mascara and was the epitome of the good husband and father.  Billy longed for a strong, grounded role model, his parents were never able to give him.  uncle Chet with his dry sense of humor and  sharp wit was an important figure throughout Bill's life.

As much as he loved visiting auntie Mabel and auntie E, his favorite place was uncle Noel and auntie Frances home.  They had four children and cousin Allen was like a brother.  They played Cowboy and Indians, wearing real cowboy hats, holsters and matching Western duds right out of a Tom Mix movie.

Allen's little brother Dick, followed them around and annoyed them while they played with their men.   (WW1 metal soldiers.)  Dicky would eventually  tired and crawled into his big sisters, Helen or Neppy's lap, while they sipped  lemonade on hot Summer days.  

Uncle Noel, was Vice President of the Maybelline Company. He was his brother, Tom Lyle Williams, trouble shooter, while TL, was in California, at the Villa Valentino, making Maybelline's beautiful print ads.

    

Occasionally Tom Jr. joined his cousin's for special occasions.  He was a student at Duke University. Captain of the Football team.

Billy and his cousins were protected from the harsh reality of the Depression,  thanks their uncle Lyle,  and the family working together at the Maybelline Company.

Read more about Billy Williams and his cousins in The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.

Maybelline's profits grow during the Great Depression because of Advertising a quality product

Top picture, Billy, Preston and Evelyn, with Tom Lyle. Bottom picture, Tom Lyle and his son Tom Jr. Right, Tom Lyle, founder of The Maybelline Company, with his 1934 Packard.

Tom Lyle, brilliantly used top actresses, to advertise Maybelline in film magazines, during the golden age of the 1930's.

One of Maybelline's most popular stars, Betty Grable, highlights the joys of beautifully made-up eyes.  Grable was part of the Hollywood Star System Tom Lyle helped create. 

Read more about Tom Lyle Williams, sensational advertising techniques, that helped make some of the biggest Hollywood stars, and Maybelline, a household word, in......  The Maybelline Story.

Come see me at my Hilarious 1964 High School Blog called Saffrons Rule at saffronsrule.com

Maybelline always represented quality yet sensibly priced in drugstores everywhere.

My great uncle Tom Lyle Williams, founder of the Maybelline Co never stopped believing in himself and his aspirations.  I was taught to never give up on my dreams no matter what kind obstacle life threw in my path.  The great depression actually presented Tom Lyle with many opportunities that eventually made Maybelline a household word around the world. 

The economy  forced Tom Lyle to let go of marketing Maybelline through mail order and instead place it in drug stores where young women could purchase it at an affordable price.  The Movie Industry as well in the 1930's became a contributing factor towards Tom Lyle's success, as more and more people sought escape through the golden age of films.  The timing of sound mixed with glamours larger than life movie stars, enhanced a desire for personal image and a fascination with beautiful eyes.  This new passion for personal identity brought swarms of women into drug stores, ready to shell out a dime for a little red and gold box of Maybelline, which always represented

                 "quality yet sensibly priced."  

 Please comment on this as I would love hear your ideas and memories as well.  

Advertising was the secret to Maybelline's success in the 1930's and still is today.

When most companies were sinking 1n 1931 during the Great Depression Maybelline continued to endure.  Tom Lyle concentrated on Advertising as the power head of Maybelline's expansion.  He found that even during the worst economical times women spent money on Maybelline rather than putting meat on the table - just to have longer, darker more luxurious lashes. 

During Maybelline's Art Deco period, Tom Lyle used artist illustrations to produce sleek, modern, sophisticated images women emulated to appear as alluring as their favorite film stars.  His instincts were right and that target market of independent woman carried Maybelline through the depths of financial insecurity to the heights of world success.

Woman were hooked on glamour, style and beauty, refusing to ever be plain Jane's again.  Even today when luxuries are tossed by the wayside to survive, cosmetics  endure and steal the Lyon's share of the market.

If you'd like to comment please do, I'd love to hear how your great grandmother, grandmother, mother and even yourself and daughter can relate to what Tom Lyle did to bring women out of the shadows and into the light of confidence and Panache.

Maybelline Kids during the Great Depression.

Left to right - Bobby, Dick, Tommy, Marilyn, Shirley, June, Allen, Billy, Neppy, Helen, Tom Jr and baby Joyce in Chicago in 1934.

       Though times were uncertain during the Depression, the Maybelline family continued to work and play together and enjoyed getting together at each others homes, for card parties and picnics on the weekends.  Billy loved Spring time at his Auntie Eva, uncle Ches' home in Chicago and romped around with their children June, Marilyn and  Robert when he wasn't at Dundee Military School.  Life seemed  more secure than when he was home with his parents Evelyn and Preston who were more interested in their own relationship than having a child.  

      Auntie Eva made everything more fun with her gaiety and charm and though Uncle Ches ran the distribution part of the Maybelline Co. he was always ready for a laugh and though nothing of cruising the  kids up and down Michigan Ave.  just for the fun of it.  Billy and his cousin June were best buddies and often played house by throwing a sheet over the kitchen table and crawling underneath it with snacks from the pantry filled with toys. 

       Occasionally the whole gang joined up at Mabel and Chets' for Sunday afternoon dinners and Bill and his cousin Shirley liked to dress up and play Doctor and nurse while little Tommy volunteered to be the brave young patient.  Baby Joyce was just an infant in her mother's arms but she too learned to join in as time went by. 

      A visit to Auntie Mabel's meant wonderful home cooked food, lots of hugs and kisses and a sense of real stability.   Mabel was the Mother figure of the Williams family; sweet, modest and never overbearing or grandiose like his own mother Evelyn could be.  Auntie Mabel was naturally beautiful though not a glamour girl like auntie Eva and Evelyn even though she was Maybelline's namesake and Tom Lyle's inspiration for his eye beautifier.   Mabel wore pencil thin eyebrows, had flawless skin and a smile that would melt your heart when she took an apple pie out of the oven. But mostly she represented purity, peace and love though out Billy's chaotic childhood.    Auntie Mabel's husband  Uncle Chet was in charge of producing Maybelline mascara and was the epitome of the good husband and father.  Billy longed for a strong, grounded roll model and uncle Chet with his dry sense of humor and  sharp wit became an important figure throughout his entire life.

       As much as he loved visiting auntie Mabel and auntie Eva his favorite place of all was uncle Noel and auntie Frances and their four children.  Billy and his cousin Allen played Cowboy and Indians wearing real cowboy hats, holsters and matching outfits suited for a Tom Mix movie.  Allen's little brother Dick followed them around or annoyed them while they played with their men, (WW1 metal soldiers,)  until he finally got tired and crawled into his big sisters, Helen or Neppy's lap, while they sipped  lemonade on hot Summer days.  

    Uncle Noel was second  in command at the Maybelline Co., and the main troubleshooter when Tom Lyle was in California at the Villa Valentino in the Hollywood Hills.    

     Occasionally Tom Jr joined his cousins for special occasions, but was usually too busy at Duke University, where he was captain of the football team. 

     All in all Billy and his cousins were protected from the harsh reality of the Depression thanks to Tom Lyle and the family working together thorough as the Maybelline Co.  continued grow.

Read more about Billy Williams and his cousins in The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.

Never Give Up On Your Dreams

My Great Uncle Tom Lyle Williams never stopped believing in himself and the Maybelline Company. He taught me to never give up on my dream no matter what obstacles I faced and I faced plenty, as I worked to get The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dyansty Behind It published.

The Great Depression actually presented Tom Lyle with many opportunities to expand the company. Hard times forced him to reconsider his business plan of marketing through mail order, hiring marketing genius Rags Ragland even though he was not part of the Williams family. With Rags innovative thinking, Maybelline soon appeared in drug stores, grocery stores and discount houses. These outlets targeted a new audience of younger women ready to purchase eye cosmetics at an affordable price from conveniently placed displays, rather than ordering and waiting for them to arrive by mail.

Movies during the 1930's drove the Maybelline Co. towards even more success, as people sought escape from their problems while developing a fascination for their favorite stars. Joan Crawford represented the ordinary girl trying to make it in a man's world. Jean Harlow with her platinum hair and pencil thin eyebrows represented glamour -a little rough around the edges. These actresses were the prototype of the modern woman who wanted to be beautiful and glamorous. This phenomenon brought more women into the stores to purchase Maybelline and Tom Lyle's dream continued into the 1940's.

As I was growing up, Tom Lyle's stories instilled in me the will to keep going even though many dooors were slammed in my face. Now after 20 years, I can proudly say that The Maybelline Story a reality, no longer just a dream.