Back in 1943

Fifteen-year-old 3rd-category turner Vera Tikhova, who completed one and a half adult work norms on her lathe during the blockade. Leningrad, 1943. The photo was taken at one of the factories in the Frunzensky District. Photographer: Vasily Fedoseyev. No wikipedia article about Vera.

German Sophie Scholl, executed in Germany in 1943 for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets. Her last words:

“How can virtue triumph when almost no one is willing to sacrifice themselves for it? Such a beautiful sunny day, and I have to go.”

Same time in US – The term ‘teenager’ was coined in 1941, and Seventeen magazine printed its first issue in 1944, showing off young teenager-targeted clothing and interests. It was a new market, one that was somewhere between girls and college-age young women.

Teenagers were obsessed with Frank Sinatra, hung out at soda fountains, and danced all night to jazz and swing music. 1940s teenage fashions reflected this new, carefree outlook on life. These vintage photo from Steve Given show what teenage girls often wore in the meed 1940s.