Susan A. Allen was the wife of New York City Dentist James Allen. He practiced at 117 Bowery from 1836 until around 1845, when he moved to 355 Broome Street. His business remained on Broome Street until 1856. The first time Mrs Susan A. Allen was listed in Business Directories was in 1854. She was selling her Hair Restorer at the 355 Broome Street address. Frank Allen, probably their son, joined them in the business in 1856. He was listed that year with an occupation of "Hair Dye."
Although her first mention in City Directories was in 1854, Susan must have been selling the preparations for several
years prior. Advertisements that year already claimed the Broome Street address as a Manufactory and Depot. The same ads also indicated that the products already enjoyed nationwide distribution, and were being sold in Cuba, Canada, and Great Britain. An 1881 ad in Harper's Bazaar, claimed that the Allen's Hair Restorer business had been established over forty years prior. The earliest ad I've found for the Allen's products was from 1854. By March of 1855, the advertisements required 355 Broome Street be blown onto the bottles to be genuine.
Around 1862 Wholesale Druggist Selah R. Van Duzer became the Preparer and Sole
Agent of the Allen hair products. The last year Susan Allen was listed in Directories was in 1861 and ads starting in 1862 listed the Depot at 198 Greenwich Street. According to the Wilsons, that address was also the address of Van Duzer's Business.
Mrs Allen's Worlds Hair Restorer was for sale from the 1840s until after the turn of the century. Her Worlds Hair Balsam was also for sale for most of that period.
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