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And whatever connections I can make between these chapters of my life.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Historical Hair

Lots of interesting discussion happened when I posted a recent blog pondering what really is Historical Fiction anyhow. One commenter brought up how kids parse out the meaning. To them, a book such as Mixed-up Files could be classified historical because it took place in a time the young reader might not understand. Prices, hairstyles, clothing, music= all part of the past to a child born in 2000.

I know, I know. I'm still (over?)thinking the topic.

But speaking of hair...

When a group of friends gathered last weekend, something about a certain movie confounded us. We all lived in Mississippi in the early 1960s, the setting of one of the most popular books in recent memory, The Help. Soon to be a major motion picture, the movie's rendition of Skeeter's hair is bugging us all. I know, I know. It's a small detail. And we've only see the trailer for the movie. I can't wait to see the movie and I'm sure I'll love it, as I loved many things about the book. But I wish they'd consulted somebody actually alive during the time for hair advice.

Like us maybe!
Since our small gathering was hosted by fabulous cooks and very creative women, the party favors were "church fans" featuring a likeness of each of us, circa 1963.

About the hair. Do you see a single picture without straight hair? Flips predominate.

We ironed our hair, people! We slept on big rollers to get the curls to straighten out!
We were not alone. Check out any college yearbook, even those outside the South. 
I doubt you will see many hairstyles of Emma Stone's/ Skeeter's movie frizziness.

While I'm sharing pictures, and since it was so delicious, here's one of our many gourmet meals. Pictured- shrimp salad, artistically accented by blanched asparagus spears. Key lime pie, chocolate mousse. Wonderful bread. I could go on.


(Photos by Eileen Harrell, Artline Graphics)

Related posts: Kathryn Stockett
The Help, The Movie

3 comments:

Joyce Moyer Hostetter said...

My memory of the book is that Skeeter had annoyingly frizzy hair which she couldn't do much about or didn't want to bother doing something with.

On the trailer she has a cute curly look. I imagined thin, frizzy, and fragile looking.

You ironed hair in the early 60s?
I thought maybe that came later.

Not to argue or anything - I am sure you know what you're talking about since I was so not in style at the time.

Anyway - the movie looks great!

Augusta Scattergood said...

Agreed on the movie vs book hair thing.
HaHa, Joyce. We did iron hair in the 60s, though maybe not that early. But certainly when I was in college.

Here's how you can do it--from a hairstyling site I found with a simple google--
if you'd like to experiment:


If you are curious about trying to iron your hair and getting the wonderfully sleek fall of hair that was so common in the sixties, all you need is an iron.
You can simply wet your hair and put it on the ironing board underneath a towel; this will protect your hair even while heat is being applied and it will allow you to skip the split ends that were such a problem with straight ironing and enjoy 1960’s hairstyles.

Carol Baldwin said...

orange juice cans (washed out of course)-- I still remember sleeping on them (late 60's and South Jersey)--that was my way to straight hair. Hmmmm...maybe I need to do that again! Nah, now I embrace my curly hair!