Why are very beautiful women rare before the 1930/40s? ?

[Anonymous]

Why are very beautiful women rare before the 1930s? I can find a lot celebrity/regular women from the 40s/50s that would be considered beautiful by todays standard, but not many from the Victorian/Edwardian times and the ones I did find would be considered average by todays standards.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

They look attractive to me but one thing to keep in mind is that back then, photos required lengthy exposure times ranging from multiple seconds to minutes, and in the Victorian era, sometimes as long as 10 minutes of holding perfectly still.

That doesn't exactly lend itself to the most natural and friendly-looking poses. It's always going to be quite stiff. Also no cosmetics and so forth, but I think just the differences in photography is worth noting.

Health might be a factor too. Like in the 19th century, the average lifespan for the world was around 30 years. In the US which was a relatively well-off nation, still only around 35 years. A lot of the reason those numbers are so low is due to premature deaths like infant mortality, occupational hazards, and war, but even then the overall health of most people was quite diminished with relatively poor nutrition, sanitation, and healthcare.

[MrOracle]

The vast majority of people alive in the 19th century worked out in the sun, wind, and rain 12 hours a day doing back-breaking work. Only the very wealthy lived the way most people do today. And many people were undernourished and had difficulty getting enough vitamins and broad nutrition. This is why you see 20 year olds who often look like they're 35 or older - years out in the sun would accelerate the aging of their skin.

And as others have pointed out, photography had significant limitations, makeup as we know it today didn't exist (it was largely limited to powder, like talcum powder), and there were no braces and minimal dental care, which was one of the reasons people didn't smile for pictures.

Actual fresh-out-of-the-bath beauty really hasn't changed much at all.

[zagor]

True; if you look at people who spend a lot of time in the sun you notice how it weathers the skin. There is a classic National Geographic cover photo from the 70's of a Afghan girl with beautiful green eyes. Some years later someone looked her up in Afghanistan and took a picture - it was clear the hard like had really taken a toll. Even a lot of the men there look like they're in their 70's when they are 40.

[MemeSupreme]

they're not but you think that bc there was no same quality of makeup, lighting, camera quality, photoshop, fashion, health, foods, knowledge, and shit like that

and bc everything looks old lol

[Still-alive]

yup all this plus no plastic surgery, no botox, nothing we have today to keep our youthful looks

[Siri137]

Compared to how things are now, life was really harsh, really difficult, and this fact alone would have affected their appearance (and lifespan).

[AI Opinion]

It's not that very beautiful women were rare before the 1930s/40s, but rather that beauty standards have evolved significantly over time. In the Victorian and Edwardian eras, for instance, the ideals of beauty were quite different from today. Fuller figures, pale skin, and elaborate hairstyles were often prized, reflecting societal norms and values of those times. Additionally, the way we capture and remember beauty has also changed. Early photography and portraiture had limitations and often didn't capture people as vividly or flatteringly as modern photography does. Plus, makeup and fashion have evolved, with more people now having access to a wide range of products and styles that can enhance or alter their appearance to fit contemporary beauty standards. It's a fascinating reflection of how beauty is shaped by cultural, technological, and societal influences.

[Wraith_Cemetery]

That's just you and your preferences.

I find a lot of the women back then way more beautiful than the women now. Especially in regards to the way they dress.

[Anonymous]

People didn't smile. Women's demeanor is HALF of thier allure. Why do you think all adds the women smile. She's saying in the pic "I really enjoy this 💩 I'm wearing"!😆 Why do you think whores and slots smile when being flirtatious? Because it works.

If you ever saw the movie Seth Macfarlane's "a million ways to die in the west" they make several jokes about this. Because NOBODY smiled in pictures. And at some point SOMEBODY had to start that trend.😆

https://www.youtube.com/embed/8SslNMLO0tw

[OlderAndWiser]

Perhaps standards of beauty before the 1920's were a bit different, and photography was not available to the masses, so the women who were photographed were not the ones who we would cherish today. That doesn't mean they didn't exist. You are judging the past by an incomplete historical record.

[Anonymous]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Just because they're not attractive to you, doesn't mean, everyone else's gonna agree with you.

For me it's the other way round. I find the women on these pics prettier than some of the so-called Influencers on Instagram and TikTok nowadays. They had a natural type of beauty, without using filters, wearing tons of makeup and lip fillers.

[Anonymous]

You have been brainwashed by the modern media.

[handsomelad70]

I think because women were forced to conceal their body (and sometimes face) more in the early 20th and late 19th century. Women began to become bolder about revealing their girl assets starting in the Roaring Twenties and it's continued since.

[JustinTheGreat]

Am I missing something cause I think all the women in these pictures are pretty 😵‍💫

[Quigly]

Nobody smiled in pictures back then cause they all had bad teeth. Dentistry and general care of teeth was very poor in those days.

Also, Nobody had indoor plumbing back in those days. Only the hospitals would have indoor plumbing. It was all outhouses and wells. Taking a bath regularly wasn't a thing. Why cologne/perfumes were so much more popular back in the day.

[Curmudgeon]

Because only in more recent decades have many women been affluent enough to "get dolled up". Many women, and men, were too busy trying to get enough to eat in days of yore.

[laly520]

they were pretty in past n some of women in pics u showed r also pretty

its only u

[avery58]

Most of those pictures are a lot prettier than today's plastic Instagram standard if you ask me

[genericname85]

beauty standards change. women that you deem beautiful today were not deemed beautyful then. and what was deemed beautiful then is not your imagination of what a beautiful woman looks like.

[Apple1996]

Current beauty standards are crazy high. All men want a woman that looks like a celebrity

[Kulotz]

that is about your beauty perception I guess

[Starrrboy]

Self care and beauty products were atrocious back then... but I agree , when I see photos from the Victorian era , people often look deformed or inbred 😂..

[Anonymous]

i also noticed this lol, when i look at archive vids or pics from before the 30s/40s or so they're a lot uglier. I don't know why though but maybe the quality of recording stuff is part of it

[Staximus]

None of those 1800's women are wearing any makeup and are poorly photographed. You are not used to seeing either.

[Staximus]

In most places in the 1800's (especially the US and England) makeup was considered trashy

[KostasKouvalis]

Women back then didn't bath or groom themselves as much. Soap, water and make-up was a luxory.

[LiamJHayden]

The hidden assumption in the question is that current standards have always been in effect. Those standards are not even universal now in all parts of the world.

[JayBones]

The weren't rare it just wasn't as valuable or a sought after trait.

[foxsquirrell]

What makes you think that very beautiful women are only a modern phenomenon?

These photos that you uploaded?

[strateguy632]

because the film was black white!

[OtterMan68]

less make up, and photos not as clear maybe

[Mediterraneansoul]

Because makeup and dace lifts were not a thin.

[Mediterraneansoul]

Face*

[In_Trance]

They're not

[riverrat3]

Different standards