Is Laura Ingalls Wilder a Rapunzel?

     By now everyone knows the story of Rapunzel, if only via Disney. If you don't here's the link to Wikipedia to help you along. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapunzel

     In the book Little House Travel Diary, at the end of the 1894 trip by wagon Rose Wilder describes her mother's hair. As an adult LIW would brush her EXTREMELY LONG HAIR and then braid it, either in one or two braids; depending on the occasion. Very genteel occasions called for putting her hair up in a very tight bun. This is no easy feat. In 1894 women had hair down to their waist and beyond!  Apparently LIW had her hair down to her ankles!  Wearing it up in a bun would give her a headache, as Rose Wilder stated in the book. Also, how did she ever wash it?!

     Personally, I have had my hair down to my waist, at least, 5 times in my life. It does take a while to grow out. There are tears shed when you decide to cut it, as well. The hair dresser will turn you around and do one swift scissor cut across the starting point of your hair cut. Then, she will turn you around and let you see the one to two feet of hair she just cut off. If she's sensitive to your needs, she'll either pat you on the shoulder or give you a hug. Then she will finish by washing, conditioning, trimming, and styling your hair. 

     Here's my question, did LIW cut her hair later in life? It seems that she had by the flapper, and thread bare thirties eras. She also is seen wearing a standard skirt (medi) and regular shoes for the time. I always wonder what the young women of the enlightened era thought of the dress code of the 1920's and 1930's. Quite a difference. I'm sure some newspapers and magazines have a lot of articles and subscriber mails about that. 

     My maternal grandmother was born in 1909. It was interesting to see her dressed as a flapper. She always wore a skirt below the knee. I had never, ever seen her in a mini skirt. Her skirts always went to the calf. Her hair was nonexistent by the time I came along.  She had lost her hair to extreme stress from the communist takeover of her home country. Therefore, she wore a wig. Her wigs were always short.  Her wigs went down to her blouse/shirt collar. Thanks to the wigs she never had a gray hair shown in her life.  May she rest in peace. 

     I think I'll take another look at hairstyles from 1890's-1930's. Bye for now.