Trends of the 1920s

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Trends of the 1920s

• Austin, Steve, Sherman

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The 1920s was a time of change for America.
People developed new past-times, made more money,
and were not afraid to spend it. Society did new
things and experienced new things.
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Baseball became a favorite pastime for Americans
George Herman Ruth (babe Ruth) is one of the most
widely know players of all time. He is known for
his powerful hitting. In fact he hit 714 home
runs in his career. He was one of the best
players ever for the Yankees and drew record
crowds.
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Air travel became possible
On may 20, 1927 Charles Lindbergh Left on a 33
hour 20 minute solo flight across the Atlantic in
his famous plane The Spirit of St. Louis. In
doing so he received a 25, 000 dollar prize.
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Charlie Chaplain in The Gold Rush
The development of motion picture in the twenties
represented the advances in art, technology and
business and the growth of entertainment.
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Although most movies in the 1920s were silent.
The industry was huge. Most of the big name
present day production companies were formed in
the 20s. Paramount, Metro, and Warner Brothers
were all formed in the 20s.
Although extremely popular, the movies were
highly unrealistic and good always triumphed over
evil. The most popular movies of the twenties
were Robin Hood, The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur,
Wings, and The King of Kings. Some of the most
famous actors were the great comedian Charlie
Chaplain, Rudolph Valentino and Douglas Fairbanks.
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An Early Radio
Technological advances help shape the twenties.
The invention of the radio helped relay news,
sports, entertainment and advertising to Americans
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Prohibition
In 1920 congress set in to effect the ban of all
alcoholic beverages. The ban was minimally
effective. There were many ways to get around it.
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Farmers would grow corn and make their own
liquor. The liquor would then be sold to
bootleggers. These bootleggers often associated
with organized crime then sold it to
distributors. These underground distributors
were known as speakeasies
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Fashion
The fashion of the 1920's was a good indicator of
the lifestyle and atmosphere of the times and
reflected the ideals of the period. During the
twenties, women began to get wilder and more
rebellious and began to be called flappers. By
wearing dresses which were above the knees and
showed more of their legs, women displayed more
sexuality and appeal. Women wanted to act and
dress sexy to create the attitude that they were
crazy and wild. The short dresses were
complemented with long necklaces and short and
sometimes bobbed hair. The "boyish" look was the
trend of the period and short hair was considered
sexy.
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Men's styles were not nearly as radical as those
of women. Single and double-breasted suits were
worn to try to display broad shoulders as men's
fashions remained normal for the most part.
The fashion of the 1920's displayed the
superficiality and rebellion of the era. Outward
appearance rather than personality was found to
be most appealing and fashion helped create that
feeling. Fashion was evident in the dancing and
movies of the decade and was made popular by the
flappers.
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The Automobile
Over the first few years of the
1920s, the automobile became
a hit with everyone, especially
young people who wanted
freedom and excitement. Soon
virtually every household in
America owned an automobile,
and it quickly became an
integrated part of American life.
Parents would drive to work in
their automobiles. Families could
visit friends and family who lived
farther away. And young people
found a whole new way to have fun.
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The Arts
Artists such as Thomas Benton, and Charles
Sheeler created works that depicted the era.
Thomas Benton is best known for his advancement
of the regionalist style, and created works with
themes of small towns in rural America. Charles
Sheeler created works that were very
architectural and industrial for the time. He
was also a photographer and painted like a
photograph.
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Thomas Benton
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Charles Sheeler
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Music
The twenties were full of music especially jazz.
Performers like Bessie Smith a best selling
vocalist for the time. George Gershwin a gifted
pianist. And Duke Elington the king of the big
band. These performers shaped most of the
musical industry during the 1920s