Mitchell's House of Beauty
My first memories of the beauty salon begin around 5 years old, when I got my first set of bouncy curls. I can still smell the smoke from the curling irons, the foam, the chemical relaxers. I can hear the gossip, the laughter with the old school music playing in the background, the conversations I was way too young for, and people coming in to sell bootleg dvds.
This place for me was Mitchell’s House of Beauty in Southwest Atlanta.
I recently rode by where the shop used to be. I hadn’t been since I was a child, so I was elated to see they were STILL open after all these years. I walked inside, and low and behold the original owner who styled my first curls was still in the shop, beaming with pride. Ms. Johnnie Mitchell.
From my memory, Ms. Johnnie was a firecracker of a woman with a sweet, loving spirit, who always made me feel safe when I was in her care.
Ironically enough, Mitchell’s House of Beauty will be celebrating 50 years in the community at the end of the month. I got to speak to Ms. Johnnie about her passion for hair, and how the salon came to be.
During my time there, I documented the architecture of Mitchell's House of Beauty, as well as the stylists that work there everyday serving their community.
