More of a practise with fireworks than anything else.

My first attempt at using fireworks.

It’s hard to imagine now, but the bobbed hair cut was a revolutionary step away from the historically preferred longer hairstyle. As early as the 1890’s, forward thinking females have been noted wearing shorter hair, even though it wasn’t considered to be respectable. A good example of such a forward-thinker is the French actress Polaire, who in 1910 was noted as having “a shock of short, dark hair”. This theme continued through English aristocrat Lady Diana Cooper, hailed as one of the most beautiful women of her time, and dancer/ renowned trend setter Irene Castle who introduced her “castle bob” to a receptive American audience in 1915.

But it wasn’t until the early 1920’s that the bob cut was to become truly popular, under the influence of movie star, Louise Brooks. So much so, that barbers in many cities had women queuing outside, waiting to have years of hair growth removed. Brooks’ influence was such, that film writer Kenneth Tynan profiled her in his essay, “The Girl With The Black Helmet”, the title of which explicitly referencing her famous lack of hair. However, the bob, whilst in fashion during this period, was also a step toward the practical as, during the First World War, women were required to work more laborious jobs, where long Edwardian hair would have beeen understandably irritating.

By the mid 1920’s, the bob was the dominant women’s haircut of the Western world, although, even as early as 1922, the Times fashion reporter was suggesting that the style was passé. However, it wasn’t until the 1930’s that the bob’s popularity declined and women started to grow their hair again, and such was the impact of Brooks’ bob that the hairstyle is claimed as one of the most influential hairstyles in history, by many fashionable publications.