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Constructing a Culture

Tulsa Twins (77)

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Teenhood through Nina Leen's Camera Lens
1944
Preeminent photojournalist Nina Leen, employed by LIFE magazine in the 1940s primarily photographed animals, women and teenagers.[1] December 11, 1944 marked Leen's first coverage of teenage girls from Webster Grove, Missouri. "Teen-Age Girls: They Live in a Wonderful World of their Own,"[2] catalogues the social life of a teen girl during World War II.

In her first photo-essay capturing the livelihood of teenagers, the photographs showcase Leen’s investigation of the social-emotional livelihood of girlhood. Images of teen girls donned in menfolk’s clothing, chatting on the phone for hours at a time, and being initiated into a high-school sorority greet LIFE audience’s eyes and introduces them to the glamorous world, in which this is "the time in the life of every American girl when the most important thing in the world is to be one of a crowd of other girls and to act and speak and dress exactly as they do. This is the teen age. Some 6,000,000 U.S. teen-age girls live in a world of their own--a lovely, gay, enthusiastic, funny, and blissful society almost untouched by the war."[3]

1945
Seven months later, June 11, 1945, Leen revisited the teenager's livelihood, but this time teen boys from Des Moines, Iowa served as the representative for all teens, nationwide. The photo-essay, "Teen-Age Boys: Faced with war, they are the same as they have always been,”[4] faced with the threat of being drafted to fight the war against Japan, Leen’s photos support the conceit that boys act in the same manner as always, where: “homework is done in ten minutes, Mother is looked upon as a lovable servant, [and] home is only for eating and sleeping.”[5]

1947
As American life transitioned postwar, the livelihood of teenage girls flourished. "Tulsa Twins: They Show how much the Teen-age World has Changed" showcases the transformation in teen girls, such as presenting cutting-edge, trendsetting, “New Look” clothing that made girls look more flirty and feminine.

In an up-close-and-personal photo shoot, serving as representatives for all teen girls nationwide, identical twins Barbara and Betty Bounds show off their fashion style, social life, and domestic tasks. “Tulsa Twins” welcomes you visually into the fashionable social world of middle-class, postwar teen girlhood, where being a lady requires domestic responsibility and acceptance to be “one of the crowd,” and in which “parties with boys are their favorite things in life.”

[1] James Pomerantz, “The Surreal World of Nina Leen,” The New Yorker, April 11, 2013, accessed January 11, 2016, http://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/the-surreal-world-of-nina-leen. One of the first female photographers contracted for LIFE magazine, Pomerantz states: “[Leen’s] most well-known subjects were animals (including her dog Lucky), American women and adolescents, and the Irascibles, a group of abstract artists…”

[2] Nina Leen, “Teen-Age Girls: They Live in a Wonderful World of Their Own,” LIFE Magazine, December 11, 1944: 91-98. Google Books, accessed January 7, 2016,
https://books.google.com/books?id=10EEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA91#v=twopage&q&f=true.
Nina Leen photographed the 1944, article that appeared in LIFE magazine investigating the life of teenage girls. The 1947 photo-essay, “Tulsa Twins” is a follow-up to the first article. Readers familiar with style and social life in 1944 will recognize the transitions that occurred in the 1947 teenage girl, such as fashion and proper socialization. Introduction and promotion of uniformity in dress and actions led to conformity in appearance (including style and hair) and adherence to traditional gender roles. First introduced in 1944, the traditional, status quo mindset spilled into the 1947 installment. Post-World War II America experienced a heightened promotion of whiteness ideals and gender roles. Since America was involved in the Cold War, wished for peace on the home front, and safety within home life. Conformity to traditional standards tamed and controlled the new group of adolescents.

[3] Nina Leen, “Teen-Age Girls: They Live in a Wonderful World of Their Own,” LIFE Magazine, December 11, 1944: 91-98. Google Books, accessed January 7, 2016,
https://books.google.com/books?id=10EEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA91#v=twopage&q&f=true.

[4] Nina Leen, “Teen-Age Boys: Faced with War, they are just the same as they have always been,” LIFE Magazine, June 11, 1945: 91-97. Google Books, accessed February 17, 2016, https://books.google.com/books?id=_EkEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&dq=LIFE%20June%201945&pg=PA91#v=onepage&q&f=false.

[5] Nina Leen, “Teen-Age Boys: Faced with War, they are just the same as they have always been,” LIFE Magazine, June 11, 1945: 91-97. Google Books, accessed February 17, 2016, https://books.google.com/books?id=_EkEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&dq=LIFE%20June%201945&pg=PA91#v=onepage&q&f=false.
"Tulsa Twins: They Show how much the Teen-Age World has Changed"
Imagine yourself as a teenager in post-World War II America.

What would 1947 teen life look like?
What would be considered hip and cool?
What rules would you need to follow?

In her post-World War II assignment covering the social transition of teen girls, photojournalist for LIFE magazine, Nina Leen, photographed Caucasian, middle-class seventeen-year-old Tulsa, Oklahoma twin sisters, Betty and Barbara Bounds. "Tulsa Twins: They Show how much the Teen-Age World has Changed" welcomes LIFE magazine's audience into the world of girlhood.
Shot in an-up-close and personal photo shoot, the twins unveil their trendy, frilly, flowing and feminine “New Look” style. Shoulder-length hair and personal accessories completed the late-1940’s ensemble, leaving teen boys to exclaim, “Hello, Dolly!”. Social transitions, such as thoughts of marriage and completing domestic chores were welcome changes for the postwar teen girl. On the opposite side, teen boys focused on masculine pursuits, such as leadership, sports and collegiate life.

Capturing 1947 girlhood at its best, Leen documented the changing life of a teen girl, where “parties with boys are their favorite things in life.” Leen's photo-essay “Tulsa Twins” welcomes you into the fashionable social world of middle-class, postwar teen girlhood, where being a lady required domestic responsibility and acceptance to be “one of the crowd”.

"Tulsa Twins" invites you to immerse yourself in the captivating life of teenage girls. The photo-essay is presented above, and the following pages discusses several photographs using a historical context.