WWII Teenagers / picture book

[Hammelby]

Goodevening ladies!

Allow me to ask you all a favour.

I am illustrating a book for young readers, called "The girl who loved potaoes", that will be published in sweden.

Luckfully for me the story takes place in WWII, transylvania (hungary/romania), and is about two girls that gets deported and survives a german concentration camp. Trouble is.. that i have a hard time picturing the girls (by googling i mostly find pictures of Anne Frank and all those TOO lovely moviestars..).

For this I would like to ask for your help with pictures of european teenager girls during the war. Clothes, hair ect. (maby even concentrationcamp teenagers). Especially the hairstyle is bugging me, since the girls in the story has dark long beautifull hair, and I can't really figure out how girls in that era would fix it. If you would like to help me i would be VERY gratefull and will be glad to post the illustrations when they are finished

 

[Miss Sis]

Hello Hammelby,

I don't know how easy it will be to find you any pictures but I imagine your heroine to have her hair plaited in two plaits that are then looped across the back of her head and pinned up. This seemed to be a popular style in Europe at that time for girls with longer hair and will fit your story. Maybe she could have ribbons tied into bows under her ears?

Good luck!

 

[Hammelby]

Hello Hammelby,

I don't know how easy it will be to find you any pictures but I imagine your heroine to have her hair plaited in two plaits that are then looped across the back of her head and pinned up. This seemed to be a popular style in Europe at that time for girls with longer hair and will fit your story. Maybe she could have ribbons tied into bows under her ears?

Good luck!

Thanks for the tip! Aha, yes now i see how that first one is put up. In two plaits ofcourse, and the top is curled back?

PS: I forgot to tell. The pictures i am looking for is only for inspiration and anything goes! Stuff you gals might have stumbled across on the web. For example like this:

 

[Kim_B]

Perhaps this site might be of some assistance to you?

http://www.return2style.de/homepage.htm

 

[LadyDeWinter]

Hairstyle WWII Teenagers

Hello Hammelby,

60-70 years ago the most popular hair syle for young girls were pigtails. The girls parted their hair and created pigtails especially if they had very long hair.

Very young girls had a hair cuts like my mother had, here she is in the 1940s:

 

[Paisley]

I don't know about Romania, but the traditional hairstyle of Russian and Ukrainian women is a single braid down the back. Two braids wrapped around the head is more of a German style, I think.

 

[Miss Sis]

To clarify, I meant across the back of the head, near the neck, not over the top of the head. That would look very Germanic, and not suitable for the character.
It depends a bit on the age of the character as older teeneagers might have started pinning their hair up about age 15 or 16.

 

[princessofcandl]

Not to put a damper on the book but I believe it was common practice to shave everyone's head and de-louse them the moment they got to a camp.

Oh wait... are you talking pre-camp? sorry... nevermind

 

[Ruby Slippers]

Most of the images I have seen are too small or blurry to be a good reference, but I'd love to see the finished work! If you could keep us posted on it, that would be great!

 

[Hammelby]

Not to put a damper on the book but I believe it was common practice to shave everyone's head and de-louse them the moment they got to a camp.

Oh wait... are you talking pre-camp? sorry... nevermind

Dear miss princessofcandl. Good point! but the story is longer. Ill break it down very short. Two girls (Viorica and Charlotta) from transylvania (sighet), parents get killed and they are, frist deported to a ghetto then to bergen-belsen in 45. The liberators (the british i think) free the camp, Viorica almost dies but survives (because she is used to eat so little! and with her sisters help). Viorica meets a handsome french soldier, but he has to leave and they never get married. The sisters first move to sweden, gets married, then moves to canada. Many years later a letter arrives, soldier has deceased, she never stopped thinking of him.

Based on a true story

 

[Hammelby]

Cover

Most of the images I have seen are too small or blurry to be a good reference, but I'd love to see the finished work! If you could keep us posted on it, that would be great!

Hm, ok but thanks for the help, and thank you for your interest
I will promise to post some illustrations as i go along. Here is the cover (or the first suggestion, it might change).

 

[Hammelby]

To clarify, I meant across the back of the head, near the neck, not over the top of the head. That would look very Germanic, and not suitable for the character.
It depends a bit on the age of the character as older teeneagers might have started pinning their hair up about age 15 or 16.

ok. got ya! yes, we follow them from 14-50 years of age, but mostly the teens. I would be thrilled if you could tip me of hairstyles the would have later on. (europe 15 in 1945, age 18 in 1947. Scandinavia: age 20 (married) in 1950, Canada in 1955 - 25 yrs. till old age). The long black hair is essential feature.

Here is a: thank you all! your tips are very usefull

 

[Hamilton_Honey]

I suggest looking at the "Swing Kids" movie again if you haven't already - it is set in Germany, and there are many examples of girls in this age group as well as older women in common hairstyles and clothing.

 

[princessofcandl]

Hoho... Goooood movie!

 

[ITG]

There's a neat website that I am having my students go to next week and do a report on a child of the Holocaust. Go to:
www.graceproducts.com
And then click on the brown icon that says "Forget Me Not: The Anne Frank Story."
There is a list of kids (with pics) of various children who either died or survived and plenty of head shots.

 

[Hammelby]

Cover

Alreet folks, the girls has come to life throgh my pen and with
the aid of all you great gals here! The cover is done and finally approved!
Hope their looks are close enough for you?

Thanks ITG, billiant headshots! Now i have ideas for their brother too

 

[ITG]

Nice illustration. I like how the background is grey toned and the girls are in color (reminds me of a scene in Schindler's List). I'm glad the link was of help and look forward to seeing how you design the boy.