"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.
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