Here is a photograph of a young woman in the early part of the 20th century.

The 1920's were a time of transformation for females and hairstyles were part of this. Prior to this time, women generally wore their hair long. The craze to cut their hair into short bobs swept the country and abroad. The Marcel wave was very popular and this gal has one big wave in the front while the sides appear to be twisted into small curls at about ear length. She may actually have longer hair but pinned it up to give the look of short hair in a faux bob. The strands on top are combed forward and swooped around to form bangs on the forehead. She probably has a bun in the back. This was one way to get a short hairstyle without cutting the hair. This may have been a good option for those who wanted the option for long hairstyles as well.