Creative Hair Styling
1940s Swirls, Curls and Water Waving Techniques
by Alfred Morris
CONDITION: new, softcover, crisp and glossy covers, 2008, 151 pages, unabridged, size: 6.69x9.61, published by Bramcost Publications
Originally published in 1948 and considered to be one of the rarest styling books of the era, this book covers general principles of hairdressing as well as the components necessary to create fantastic 1940s styles. Creating pin curls, direction of lines, proper finger positions, and other techniques are demonstrated.
The author breaks the hairstyle portion of the book down into 12 basic pin curl settings with detailed illustrations. These pin curl settings are numbered, with each hairstyle referencing the number of the pin curl setting to use when creating each style. Twelve hairstyles are demonstrated with an easy-to-use chart. Another 9 hairstyles with instructions are located in the Swirl, Sweep and Roll chapters and an additional 11 hairstyles can be found in the Hair Style Designs chapter of the book. Beautiful updos still fashionable today can be learned from this book including the Bolster Roll, Olympia, Harmony, Aspiration, Prestige, Magnifique and many others.
A large section of the book is devoted to water waving with 34 illustrations and 20 pages walking you through the process of setting the hair, joining the waves, placing the curls, and then creating different hairstyles based on the parting of the hair including a center parting, full pompadour, semi-pompadour, and double dip pompadour. Instructions are also provided for creating waves using setting combs.
The book also contains chapters on:
Shaping and Tapering for Successful Styling
Art of Curling
Art and Practice of Water Waving
Hairline and Practical Setting
Water Waving With Setting Combs
Drying the Hair After Water Waving
Definition of Beauty
Principles of Physiognomy
Styling to Type
Adapting Postiche to Modern Hairdressing
Cockscomb Design
Variations of the Bang Design
Side Swirl
Side Swept V Roll
Page Boy Design
Hair Style Designs
Modern Hair Fashions Influenced by Historical Hairdressing
Please see images for a sampling of the instructions and styles. Be sure to check our other listings for more vintage hairstyle books.