Teenage girls are all steamed up these days about straight hair. The steam iron is replacing the huge rollers on which countless teens slept every night to achieve the height and curls. The same girls endure having their hair stretched to absolute straightness on the ironing board, and then ironed to keep it that way.

Unlike the roller setting, this takes teamwork. Gay Stilley, 14, goes through an ironing session with her friends Geri Siblano, 15, and Joan Mahoney, 15, in the Stilley Home in Glen Oaks, Queens, New York City on Dec. 23, 1964. With a wary eye, Gay tries to watch the straightening process as one friend stretches her hair with a comb and another does the ironing, in the Stilley kitchen.

Hair Before a Night Out in New York City

Hair Before a Night Out in New York City

Hair Before a Night Out in New York City