Nail Art Through History: From Ancient Designs to Modern Trends

Hey there, history lovers! Join us this week as we trace the long history of nail art. From the royal courts of Ancient China to the refugee camps of the Vietnam War, we discuss how nails became symbols of beauty, status, and self-expression across cultures and centuries.

SHOW NOTES & CORRECTIONS:

Apologies if I (Natalie) sound particularly nasally during some parts of this episode - this was filmed after I recovered from a horrendous 5-week long bout of some mystery illness.

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REFERENCES:Fetto, Funmi. “From Ancient Egypt to Cardi B: A Cultural History of the Manicure.” The Guardian, 27 Jan. 2021, www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/jan/27/from-ancient-egypt-to-cardi-b-a-cultural-history-of-the-manicure.

Morris, Regan. “How Tippi Hedren Made Vietnamese Refugees into Nail Salon Magnates.” BBC News, 2 May 2015, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32544343.

“Nail Art.” National Museum of African American History and Culture, 24 Feb. 2025, nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/nail-art.

Nail Salon XR. “Nailed It Full Documentary with Viet Subtitles.” YouTube, 25 Mar. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_OcNYT_sDk. Accessed 17 Aug. 2025.

“Nail Salons and Vietnamese Refugees: Finding Sanctuary in an Unexpected Place.” Si.edu, 28 Feb. 2024, americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/finding-sanctuary-unexpected-place?utm_source=si.edu&. Accessed 17 Aug. 2025.

Rancier, Isabelle. “The Illustrated History of Nail Art.”

Refinery29.com, Refinery29, 21 Jan. 2012, www.refinery29.com/en-us/the-illustrated-history-of-nail-art.

Scofield, Rebecca. “Nailed It: Producing and Consuming in Tokyo’s Nail Industry.” Streetnotes, vol. 20, 2012, https://doi.org/10.5070/s5201011885. Accessed 17 July 2021.

Shapiro, Suzanne E. Nails : The Story of the Modern Manicure. Munich ; New York, Prestel, 2014.

Sicardi, Arabelle. “Welcome to the Golden Age of Nail Art.”

Harper’s BAZAAR, 1 Aug. 2023, www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/nails/a44380670/nail-art-history/.

Tsatalis, John P., et al. “Speaking with Your Hands—the History of the Manicure.” JAMA Dermatology, vol. 154, no. 5, 1 May 2018, p. 595, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2018.0303.

Vietnamese Heritage Museum. “Ms. Tippi Hedren - the Godmother of the Vietnamese Nail Industry.” Vietnamese Heritage Museum, vietnamesemuseum.org/details/ms-tippi-hedren/.

Willett, Julie A. ““Hands across the Table”: A Short History of the Manicurist in the Twentieth Century.” Journal of Women’s History, vol. 17, no. 3, 2005, pp. 59–80, https://doi.org/10.1353/jowh.2005.0038.

Thank you so much for listening! See you on the next one xoxox