Roslyn
This 1940s image gives an idea of what Roslyn's would have looked like when it was listed in the Green Book.
This Washington Post newspaper clipping from June 2nd, 1938 shows future Roslyn owner, Carrie Colbert, advocating for fair wages for Black hairdressers.
In the 1930s, much discussion surrounded whether or not booth operators are employees or employers. This Washington D.C. Evening Star newspaper clip from June 2nd, 1938 shows another example of Carrie Colbert advocating for a fixed wage for Black women workers.
Known Name(s)
Roslyn
Address
106 New York Blvd. Jamaica, NY (1947)106-53 New York Blvd Jamaica, NY (1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955)
Establishment Type(s)
Beauty Parlor
Description
The beauty parlor was located on the east side of New York Boulevard at #106-53 (now 106-53 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard). Constructed of brick, the rectangular semi-attached building was built in 1910. According to the New York City Property Portal, this building has two stories and is 1472 square feet. The building is described by the Property Portal as a “S2 residence,” which is a primarily 2 family building with one store or office. The building is 68 feet in depth and has a flat roof. Its front faces west.
The New York City Municipal Archives photo of 106-53 New York Boulevard from 1940s provides an idea of what Roslyn’s Beauty Parlor would have looked like when in business, as there are no images of Roslyn’s during its years of operation. On the ground level, the store front featured a wide, striped canvas awning. Below the awning were two window displays flanking the business’s central main entrance. A second door leading to the upper floors is to the southwest of the facade. The second-floor features two sets of six over one pane double hung windows. The front of the building has a stepped parapet at the roof level. The parapet features decorative brick-work, which is also found around the second-floor windows.
Today, the ground-floor store front maintains the same layout, but the awning has been replaced with a large sign labeled “Neighborhood Discount Store.” Both entrances are secured with metal roll-down gates, and the second-floor windows are now one over one double hung windows with black window frames.
Detailed History
According to the 1950 Census Report, Roslyn Beauty Salon was owned by Mr. James Carrington whose occupation was listed as apartment renovator. The salon was operated by his wife, Mrs. Carrie Bell Colbert Carrington. The African American couple came to Queens from the south, as Mrs. Colbert Carrington was originally from North Carolina, and Mr. Carrington hailed from Virginia. How and when they met is unknown. The salon was open for decades, but it is difficult to discern when its exact opening and closing date were.
106-53 New York Blvd. in 1940 was a tailor shop owned by a Romanian couple, Opias and Anna Holtzman. By 1950, the building was occupied by the Carringtons and Alene Fleming. She is the only known employee at Roslyn Salon. Fleming, a hairdresser, was also African American and from North Carolina. The 1950 Census described her as a lodger of 106-53 New York Blvd.
Although Roslyn’s did not exist in the 1930s, Carrie Colbert (later Carrington) was advocating in Washington, D.C. that black hairdressers receive fair wages during this time. In 1934, discussions about fair wages for hairdressers and their operators were brought to the officials of the District Minimum Wage board. Colbert was quoted in Washington D.C.’s The Evening Star paper as she testified that Black hair salon operators like herself were unable to offer competitive wages because of competition from booth renters and private operating salons. Colbert’s input was part of a discussion of whether renters of booths in salons should be considered employees rather than independent operators.
There are very few advertisements and no photographs of Roslyn Salon. In 1964, Roslyn Beauty Salon appeared in two newspaper advertisements for Posner’s Miracle Discovery “Curlaxer” and “Curl Out.” Both products were targeted towards a Black female audience to tame natural curls and fizz. Both products were offered for purchase at Roslyn.
106-53 New York Blvd. was sold by Mrs. Colbert Carrington in 1976 to a man named Samual Gibson.
