Maybelline founder Tom Lyle Williams

Showing posts with label Maybelline family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maybelline family. Show all posts

The Maybelline Story - Sharrie Williams (Guest) Bridge City News




Interview with Bridge City News, Canada.  

Maybelline started as a little mail order business in the classified section of Movie magazines. Tom Lyle Williams a 19 year boy with a 10th grade education, was an advertising genius. His great niece, Sharrie Williams tells a bit of his story and the great success he became when his little cosmetic company  took off during the Silent Film Era.  



The 1969 Porsche 911E, was the car I loved the most, as boy's love fast cars, and this one was a rocket!!

 




I remember the day that big car hauler pulled through those big electric gates at Casa Guillermo.  It was 1976 and I was all of 16 and what do you know?  I had a license!!

The driver of the truck got out and came around to the end of the trailer to release the back door and attach the tracks that would allow the machine to roll down.  One of the two men hopped into the trailer and got into that sweet ride and started it up.  I never heard such an awesome sound.  It had a throaty roar, as he backed the car up and his partner guided him down the ramp. 


My Dad put his arm around me,  as he often did, and squeezed my bicep, "hey muskels."  (Dad always had such a fun way with words,)  "What do you think of this one!  This was my cousin Bill Stroh's car, I bought it from his wife, when he passed away.  You know he used to race cars, on the professional circuit.  The motor in this car is no ordinary motor." 


 I said, "really, why is that?"  and then he paused a moment as the car backed out, and the bright sunlight hit that burnt orange paint, with the cool racing stripe across the bottom, and the word PORSCHE in it and on the back hood, all in gold lettering and beneath it -Sportomatic, 911E.  


Gleaming in the sunshine it looked like a beautiful jewel, and Dad said, "isn't she beautiful!!"  


I said so what's up with the motor Pop?  Wanting to know every detail. 


"Bill had it specially built, by his Master Mechanics, all of the pistons and rings were forged by hand out of aluminum, as well as many other parts to be extra light weight, everything about this motor was designed for ultimate performance, this motor won him many races, when it was in his race car, so when Bill retired he had this motor put into his Wife's Porsche 911E, so you see this is no ordinary car" 


"Well Dad how is that possible? I mean a race engine?, that doesn't seem legal."


"Well Press,  it had to be tuned down a bit, to make it safe for the road, and as well the car has a specialized breaking system to support the high speeds, and they modified the suspension as well all to make it fast and safe, and best of all it looks original." 


"I said oh, you mean it doesn’t' have all of the fancy spoilers and air dams to make it look fast!!"


"Yep that's it, this is a serious machine!!." 


(You see my father liked style - not so much flash, he believed that a car should maintain the original look, the classic lines, as it was designed.)  With that my palms were itching, and you bet I could not wait to show this to my friends.


So once the moving men left and the car was placed in the car port, next to all of the other beautiful cars, we looked it over, and were so impressed with how clean it was.  It looked like new, Burnt Orange, with all black leather interior.  I knew this was going to be mine some day,

Dad said, "what do you say we take her for a spin."

"Are you kidding?  You don’t' have to ask me twice," I said, and we hopped in.  Dad in the driver’s seat of course.  He turned the ignition on, and revved that throaty little beast!!  


The quick response was quite thrilling, the sportomatic transmission, was so unique, in that it had no clutch. You just let it idle, put it in 1st gear and go, and release the gas between gears, and I mean to tell you we went!! The response was amazing.   Dad just cruised at first, through the neighborhood, but he could not help himself wiping through the winding roads.   He said "she handles like a dream."   But I wanted one thing - to go fast !!!


"Hey Dad, let’s take her on to the Tram Way road."  This is a 10 mile road, with long stretches of straight ways, mixed with mountain terrain, it takes you to the base station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tram Way.  This was my favorite place to joy ride the cars and being the middle of summer in the desert, there would be no one around. 


So we made our way there, about a ten minute drive from the Casa.  Upon turning on to the tram road, off of Palm Canyon, Dad let it rip.  1st gear we hit 50 miles an hour, in what seemedlike 1.5 sec, it was like a rocket, I am telling you I have never felt G-Force ever, but that day I believe I understood the meaning, as I could barley, if at all, lean forward off of the seat, and then Dad hit second gear, and it pressed me back further into the seat and with in another second or two we were flying past 95, 3rd gear was over 120 in a second, and he shut her down, and we were blown away as this was a five speed transmission and the speedometer went from 0 to 160 and I am sure it would do all of that and more, but 120 was cool for now.


Dad did not let me drive that car for quite sometime, as he had already found out about some of my escapades, parties, and joy rides, and to think of that day, even amazes me that he was doing anything with me, because, during that period of my life, I seemed to be a loose cannon, but in any event that was a great day for us.

Silent Film era of the 1920s and Maybelline Family kids


I've been a fan of silent films for over 30 years and never miss them on Turner Classic Movies, Sunday nights.  One thing for sure is, kids and dogs are scene stealer's, when there isn't a lot of talking going on, and Baby Peggy was one of the best.




Of course Jackie Coogan was killer cute with Charlie Chaplin in the 1921 film, The Kid.




To celebrate the first Silent films, here is a tribute, showing adorable children, in the Maybelline Family from the 1920s.  First, my father, Bill Williams, in 1925.




Bill Williams with his cousin, Arvis in 1928, check out the incredible clothes kid's wore in those days.




Two future little cousin, car-guy's, Bill Stroh and Bill Williams, 1927 in Chicago.




Bill Williams with his first set of wheel's 1927, on Christmas day.




Bill Williams, with cousin,  Arvis and her brother Bill Stroh, 1927.




My dad, "THE KID," Bill Williams dressed meticulously everyday by his doting mother Evelyn Williams.




Bill Williams in short pants and knee socks, a double breasted coat and cap - right out of a silent film, from 1928.



Bill and Arvis Stroh, roller Skating in Chicago, dressed for a fashion layout, in 1929.




Bill and Arvis Stroh, looking like part of the cast from Our Gang, in 1929.


Look how amazingly well dressed, Arvis and Bill Stroh are in this picture and the way they light up in front of the camera, in 1929.




Doesn't get much cuter than this.  Bill and Arvis Stroh, in 1927.




               Is this the most adorable picture ever.....


My dad's cousin's and Mabel and Chet Hewes daughter, Shirley and her little brother Tommy, in about 1932 - 33.  Look at the gold bracelet and ring on little Shirley's hand. These children look like child Stars or Royalty by today's standards.  Parents took such pride in their children's fashion during the first half of the 20Th Century.  


I hope we see more Silent Films made, because they are not only classic, they allow you to have your own thoughts and not be so caught up in the special effects, we are so inundated with today. 

Memorial Day Celebrating and honoring Maybelline family Men who served in the Armed Forces in WW1 and WW11


My grandfather, William Preston Williams, with his parents Susan and TJ. TJ was  proud his son was fighting for his Country like so many Patriots that went before him in the Williams Family.
                                                                               




Maybelline's namesake, Mabel Williams on the left with her brother Willliam Preston Williams, Helen, Frances Allen Williams, Bennie Gibbs and Tom Lyle Williams in front of his new "PAGE "Convertible in Chicago. 

Maybelline Ad during WW11, promoting War Bonds




My father, Bill Williams, in the Philippines 




                        Maybelline Ad during WWll.



My Father's first cousin, Noel A. Williams,  joined the Navy right out of High School.

            Noel A. in his Navy uniform during WWll.







The original Maybelline Family from Kentucky to Chicago to Hollywood and beyond.

In my book The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind it, I tell the story the Williams family and the birth of the Maybelline Co.  The original family from Morganfield Kentucky started out with (from right to left,) Sheriff Thomas Jefferson Williams, his wife Susan and six children.  Their first child, a boy named Pearl died at 19 leaving Noel James, (in the middle,) Mabel Anna, Tom Lyle, William Preston, (my grandfather,) and Eva Kay. This picture was taken in 1916 when a little company called Maybell Laboratories first introduced an eyelash darkener called Maybelline.  The company was named after the founder Tom Lyle's sister Mabel and financed by his older brother Noel with $500. he'd saved to marry his sweetheart Frances Allen. 


By 1934 the five siblings had worked together to build the Maybelline Co into an unimaginable success and though the depression destroyed many well know companies, Maybelline continued to thrive.  Here is a picture of Sheriff TJ, with Tom Lyle and his son Tom Lyle Jr.  It was taken while Tom Jr was at Duke University and Tom Lyle lived at the Villa Valentino in the Hollywood Hills.  Susan had died of the great flu in 1919.


By 1934 Noel James, Tom Lyle's older brother was vice president of the Maybelline Co, married Frances and had four children.  From left to right you see, Annette Louise, (Neppy,) Richard Lyle, (Dick,) Noel, Helen Frances, Frances and Noel Allen Williams. 



Mabel married Chet Hewes in 1926 and had three children Shirley Anne, Thomas Randolph, (Tommy) and baby Joyce Mae are in this picture.  Chet handled the manufacturing of Maybelline and eventually formed his own company within the Maybelline Co. called Deluxe Mascara after Maybelline was investigated for being a monopoly.   Mabel, Maybelline's namesake became known as Auntie Mabel to all her nieces and nephews and remained the loving matriarch until the end of her life. Her family still lives in Chicago.




Eva, the youngest child of TJ and Susan married Ches Haines and had three children. June Anne, Marilyn Frances, (Ditty,)
and Robert Charles (Bobby.)  Ches Haines was in charge of transportation at the Maybelline company while Eva, (Auntie E,)  stayed home and raised her three children. 


Preston Williams a WW1 Veteran married my grandmother Evelyn Boecher and had my father William Preston Williams Jr.  Preston never wanted to work for the Maybelline Co. and was the wild card in the family.  Eventually Evelyn and Billy followed Tom Lyle to California and Billy was raised by his mother and Uncle Tom Lyle.


Today the Maybelline family has grown into the third and fourth generation and is a very large family.  The Maybelline Story is told from my branch of the family's point of view, the West Coast branch who grew up in California with Tom Lyle.  


The story goes back to the original family in Morganfield Kentucky, through the heyday's of Chicago gangsters and into the glitz and glamour of Hollywood when Tom Lyle was the King of Advertising. 


I hope you love The Maybelline Story and find it to be a fun ride through the 20th Century with the Williams family.