The Historical Background of the 1920’s
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is thought by many to be the most definitive novel during this era. The 1920’s was also referred to as the Roaring Twenties or the Jazz Age. In Europe this decade was known as the Golden Twenties. This era was a time of social, economic, and political change in America. The Roaring Twenties was called “roaring” because of its luxuriant, high-spirited culture. Many people were against Prohibition, indulged in new styles of dancing and fashion, and refused many traditional moral standards.
Literature:
• George Gershwin writes Rhapsody in Blue
• T. S. Eliot publishes The Waste Land
• James Joyce publishes Ulysses
• Franz Kafka publishes The Trial
• Erich Maria Remarque publishes All Quiet on the Western Front
• Rene Magritte paints The Treachery of Images
• Walter Gropius builds the Bauhaus in Dessau
• F. Scott Fitzgerald publishes This Side of Paradise and The Great Gatsby
• Hermann Hesse publishes Siddhartha
• Ernest Hemingway publishes The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms
• Thornton Wilder publishes The Bridge of San Luis Rey
• Alexey Tolstoy publishes Aelita
• George Bernard Shaw publishes Back to Methuselah
• Eugene O'Neill awarded Pulitzer Prizes for Beyond the Horizon in 1920, Anna Christie in 1922, and Strange Interlude in 1928.
Fashions
-Women wore their hair shorter, mostly in bobs.
-Cloche hats were worn by women throughout the 20’s, which fit best over short and flat hair. Foreheads were considered unfashionable during the time period.
-Shoes of the twenties consisted mostly of T bar shoes with buckles, bows or straps for women worn under shorter dresses.
-For men, sacque suits were popular for daytime wear, and tail coats and top hats were sported during the evening, along with black patent leather shoes.
-Knickerbockers were popular attire for males as casual wear, and they came in many different lengths and styles.
Famous Figures-Sid Grauman (1879-1950), called "Hollywood's Master Showman," established the tradition of having Hollywood stars place their prints in cement in front of the Chinese theater for a tourist attraction. The first 10 to leave their mark were:
1. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Apr. 30, 1927
2. Norma Talmadge, May 18, 1927
3. Norma Shearer, Aug. 1, 1927
4. Harold Lloyd, Nov. 21, 1927
5. William S. Hart, Nov. 28, 1927
6. Tom Mix and Tony (his horse), Dec. 12, 1927
7. Colleen Moore, Dec 19, 1927
8. Gloria Swanson, 1927
9. Constance Talmadge, 1927
10. Charlie Chaplin, Jan, 1928
-The top box-offices stars included Harold Lloyd, Gloria Swanson, Tom Mix, Norma Talmadge, Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Colleen Moore, Norma Shearer, John Barrymore, Greta Garbo, Lon Chaney, Clara Bow and Mary Pickford.
-Baseball player Babe Ruth was the most popular American athlete of the twenties, and entertained fans in 1927 when he hit 60 home runs.
-Calvin Coolidge was inaugurated President after the passing of President Harding in 1924. His inauguration was the first presidential inauguration broadcast on radio.
-Herbert Hoover took office in 1929 as President of the United States.
-Nellie T. Ross of Wyoming became the first female Governor of the United States in 1925 after her husband passed away holding the position.
Technology
- During the decade, Art Deco was the design style that was popular. The style was spread to America towards the end of the 1920s and featured the construction of the tallest building of the time, the Chrysler Building.
-Films started the decade in black and white, but the first all-color film was released in 1922. In 1926, Warner Brothers released the first film with sound effects and music and the first film to include talking sequences was produced in 1927.
-The first commercial radio station in the U.S. was broadcast in Pittsburgh in 1922. Radio became very popular during the Time period along with Jazz music.
-The Model T Ford was one of the most popular automobiles of the decade.
Current Events
-In 1920, all 36 states had ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. This changed the role that women played in society, and many accepted jobs.
-The Eighteenth Amendment, which was ratified in 1920, prohibited the manufacture, sale, import and export of alcohol. At this time, Speakeasies became popular
Facts of the Twenties
There were• 106,521,537 people in the United States
• 2,132,000 people were unemployed, Unemployment 5.2%
• Life expectancy was 53.6 for males and 54.6 for females.
• Average annual earnings $1236; Teacher's salary $970
• Dow Jones High was 100 while the Low was 67
• The Illiteracy rate reached a new low of 6% of the population.
• It took 13 days to reach California from New York There were 387,000 miles of paved road.
