The Kenneth Salon
How celebrity hairdresser Kenneth Battelle became the go-to for top movie stars and New York City’s social elite for over a half century.
One day in 1945, Kenneth Battelle was walking down Park Avenue in his Navy uniform and had a revelation, deciding that he wanted to move to New York City.
Living in his hometown of Syracuse and unsure of his future prospects, Kenneth had been allotted funds post-war from his GI bill that would allow him to attend school for six months with which he planned to study psychiatry but ultimately decided to go to beauty school instead. While working odd jobs, he would attend classes and cut hair at the local salon, making a name for himself with innovative hairdos that grew in popularity.