The little red comb: how a cheap dye and the Industrial Revolution transformed a status object into a global cultural artifact

The little red comb lying at the back of a kitchen drawer tells much more than just a story of a forgotten object. This tiny accessory, recognizable by all, has crossed continents and generations since the Industrial Revolution. But why this specific color? And how did such a mundane grooming tool become a universal cultural artifact?

Stuck between a roll of aluminum foil and candles…