1900s

This was the post-Victorian world when the future looked optimistic, neither the upcoming world wars nor the coming financial calamities ever anticipated. The early years started with the death of Queen Victoria and the assassination of President McKinley. But the age was characterized by the introduction of the teddy bear, Kodak's one dollar Brownie camera, and the first flight by the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. Science was bursting forth as Einstein first proposed his theory of relativity, Freud published his theory of sexuality, and the first full length silent movie was released: The Great Train Robbery. The Panama Canal was started and the New York subway opened.

During the latter part of the decade, the first electric washing machine appeared and Henry Ford introduced his Model-T. In 1909, plastic was invented. It was the prelude to what would one day become an age of artificial hair, among other scientific advances. In this age of Edward the VII, many hairstyles were full and large, the result of having a maid to assist in creating the look. Even as the styles began to shorten, they maintained a fullness. During this time, permanent hair curling was invented, so that a woman could have the curls of a young girl which would hold for months. This look was most notable in the subsequent decade thanks to Toronto girl, Gladys Louise Smith, (Mary Pickford). At the same time that the fashionable ladies were having their hair puffed up, many women first began to let their hair down to show long flowing curls, or they were styled into ringlets and sausage curls. Women began to get out of the domestic chores to enjoy their own recreational pursuits, whether it was touring in the Model T, skating, golfing or marching to protest for better conditions. Influences which originally came from the Royal court and flowed down through the social strata, were now changing because of popular access to stage productions in which trends were being set by dominant actresses such as Sarah Bernhardt. Later, the movies were to spread the trends that gave dreams of stardom to each girl-next-door. 15hqql.

1900	1900 Cleo de Merode	1901

1902	1902	1902 Cleo de Merode

1903	1903	1903 Cleo de Merode	1903 Mohave Indian

1904	1904

1905	1905 Saharet

1906 Billie Burke	1907 Ethel Barrymore

1908 Billie Burke	1908	1909 Soap Ad

        

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