Blog Post
All hair is great hair: a lesson from classic children's books
Tracey at Rhyme and Reason Books • Apr 30, 2020
On this National Hairstyle Appreciation Day, we may be feeling not-so-appreciative of our current styles given the closure of hair salons in many places. Here are seven characters from vintage children's books who remind us to love the hair we're in.
Pippi Longstocking (1945)
Astrid Lindgren’s fiercely independent Pippi had perhaps the most distinctive hair in classic children’s literature. Her red braids defied gravity whether she was wrangling with pirates or driving a car with her feet.
Rapunzel (1812)
The Brothers Grimm gave Rapunzel hair so long and strong that the witch and the prince could climb it to reach her at the top of her tower. This probably wouldn’t have been great for her mobility, but imagine the shampoo commercials: clinically proven to strengthen each strand to support the body weight of your visitors.
Thing 1 and Thing 2 (1957)
This blue-haired duo arrived on the scene in Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat just in time to clean up the havoc wrought by the Cat. One has to wonder if their feather-duster-like coifs gave the Cat’s fixers a special advantage in tackling the task. The prescient Dr. Seuss gave them blue hair more than 50 years before it became the rage.
Alice in Wonderland (1865)
Lewis Carroll’s Alice wore a long, straight hair style secured with a simple hairband. Her look is so ubiquitous that in some places that particular accessory is known as the Alice band. And who wouldn’t want one? Think of all Alice went through— going down the rabbit hole, drinking and eating mysterious substances, growing/shrinking, partying with all manner of creatures, facing up to the Queen of Hearts. And through it all that hairband held every strand in place.
Medusa (circa eighth century B.C.)
Medusa might not have been thrilled when Athena cursed her by transforming her hair into venomous snakes, but she didn’t allow it to diminish her. Even after Perseus decapitated her, he had to keep her head in a special sack to contain its power, and he continued using it to turn his enemies to stone.
Strega Nona (1975)
Why, you ask is Strega Nona on this list? We don’t ever see her hair, after all. Tomie de Paola’s kindly grandmother witch always wore a kerchief, even inside. Remember, you can be a hero to the townspeople even without a flowing mane.
What other vintage children’s book characters would you add to this list? Share your suggestions in the comments section.
About the author: Tracey fell in love with old children's books when she was nine, and that was that. Her shop, Rhyme and Reason Books, sells vintage children's books and ephemera on Etsy for collectors, crafters, and decorators. As a writer, literacy instructor, and library volunteer, she donates a portion of every sale to children's literacy initiatives to foster the next generation of readers.
I haven't posted for Fast Fact Friday in a long time, but while researching the origins of these antique cartes de visite this week, I learned about a fascinating early photographer and had to share! Cartes de visite are small photographs mounted on heavy card stock that were used in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as calling cards -- comparable to the business cards of today but for social purposes. The backs often featured the name and address of the photographer. I'm always curious about the items I buy for my vintage shop and try to learn as much about them as I can before I post them on Etsy. I noticed the photographer's name at the bottom of the photos. So I turned over the portrait of the couple. Nothing but the name of the woman in the photo, an ancestor of the person from whom I bought the photos. I checked the back of the portrait of the girl. Nothing. Then I turned over the photo in the center and found the most gorgeous business card for Maria Tesch's portrait studio. Don't you love the typography?
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