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October 1943. Washington, D.C. "Demonstration of the correct procedure in applying street makeup. Home management class at Woodrow Wilson High School." Photo by Esther Bubley, Office of War Information. View full size.
There's not one of these young women that I would consider unattractive. A few of them were unprepared for the shutter, and that is all. It is not at all out of the question that one or two of them are still around today, having lived long enough to witness this strange technology that makes adults want to gossip like adolescents, even many years after leaving high school.
It's nice to see some teenaged girls who are dressed nicely, have the color of hair they were born with, don't have jewelry coming out of odd places and not even tattoos! Of course, with metal rationing and war bonds to buy, their parents weren't spending large sums on braces for their daughters.
I love photos that show the unselfconscious sincerity in the young of long ago. It's beautiful.
I see so many young women that seem to know nothing about applying makeup these days. Or they are aspiring to be clowns and streetwalkers.
This could be the girls in my high school class in 1959: we really did have a more stable culture back then.
those in the background must have great personalities.
Street makeup is everyday, regular makeup. As opposed to theatrical/stage makeup. Try either type on your rude comment.
Almost all these kids look like they aspire to be a Sweater Girl, just like Lana Turner.
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