In 1970s SF, a big 'fro was a symbol of freedom and self-expression. (via Pinterest)
#TBT: Epic Hairstyles in San Francisco History
07 September 2017
Nothing dates a photograph quite like someone's hair.
This being San Francisco, we have had some epic hairstyles over the years. Enjoy this follicular romp through SF's hairy past!
1870s
(via Deals.Gkoo.Co)
This photo was taken in San Francisco, by Carleton Watkins, in 1870. The lady shown here has her hair in two buns, which in Chinese culture at the time, signified that she was unmarried.
▲1870s
(via eBay/Pinterest)
Bradley & Rulofson captured this photo around the same time, when braided crowns and other intricate updos were popular.
▲1870s - 1880s
(via The Cabinet Card Gallery)
This cabinet card of a lady was created at the Rieman and Tuttle studio at 26 Montgomery Street. The woman's hairstyle is consistent with the trend, of the late 1870s and '80s, of placing curls in the front of an updo.
▲1920s
(via Classic Legends)
There is debate as to whether actress Dorothy Revier was born in SF or Oakland. What is certain, though, is that her bobbed haircut with finger waves was all the rage in the 1920s.
▲1923 - 1924
(via eBay)
This Mission High School student took finger waves to the extreme for her class photo.
▲1942
(via Pinterest)
On November 17, 1942, Tanya Williams, who resided at 57 Taylor Street, was arrested for putting on an indecent show at a Melody Lane club. What was not indecent is her fabulous '40s hairstyle, complete with pin curls.
▲1960s
(via williamdukepresents.com)
In the 1960s, SF socialite Pat Montandon hosted her own TV show on KGO-TV (channel 7), called the "Prize Movie," (which later became "Pat's Prize Movie"). She was on trend with a big '60s bouffant.
▲1967
(via Vintage Everyday)
Hippie hair was unsurprisingly carefree, left to grow as wild and free as the spirit of its owners. This photo was taken during the Summer of Love in 1967.
▲1975
(via Pinterest)
When the Black is Beautiful movement started in the 1960s, the afro became a symbol of freedom. This photo was taken in SF in 1975.
▲1980s
(Rick Soloway, via Vintage Everyday)
Photographer Rick Soloway's photos of his friends and acquaintances offer a glimpse into the beauty and fashion trends in 1980s SF, where we truly pushed the boundaries of how big hair could get.
▲1983
(via Michael Jang/Flashbak)
In keeping with the more is more sentiment of the '80s, this photo, by Michael Jang, shows a television news hopeful sporting an extreme wedge cut, circa 1983.
▲1990s - 2000s
via KQED News
Nobody was a stylishly darling as twins Marian and Vivian Brown, whose always-matched, perfectly executed coiffures always hailed from another era and yet were somehow daringly of the moment.
▲Present Day
(via Souls of San Francisco)
Punk rock raided SF in the late 1970s, and has remained a part of our stylistic lexicon. Because when it comes to fashion, San Franciscans give no fucks.
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