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In the United States, the 1920’s or "Twenties" is often referred to as the "Roaring Twenties" or the "Jazz Age," while in Europe, it is called the "Golden Age” or “Les Années Folles" ("Crazy Years”). No matter the moniker, the era embodied the beginning of modern America, though not all of it good, and not for everyone.
After World War One, a brief economical hiatus, driven by recovery from wartime devastation, was soon replaced by an era of prosperity for the United States with oil companies beginning operations throughout South America. The economic hike was accompanied by a rapid growth of technology,
and consumerism made its entrance with returning soldiers re-joining the labor force to retooled factories. The booming of the stock market brought on optimism, which in turn gave way to more relaxed customs and morals, as people were making more money than ever before. Whisked into a new fast-living world of luxury, they moved en mass to urban areas. Still, some sectors remained stagnant, especially farming and mining, pushing frustrated farmers toward agricultural cooperatives and sharing resources in order to survive. But, all in all, the nation's total wealth nearly doubled between 1920 and 1929, and America became the richest country in the world.
In Europe, economies began to flourish about 1924, though some countries weren't doing as well economically and socially. Germany experienced a severe economic downturn due to the war debts it agreed to repay as part of the Treaty of Versailles. It brought the country severe hardship conducive to the rise of the Nazi Party—fascism, also exacerbated by fears of communism spreading
The
Roaring Twenties
It was the time of Gershwin and The Rhapsody in Blue. Jazz had found its way out of New Orleans and into Harlem and classical music—its ragtime beats in accord with the newly popular and provocative Charleston dance. The First World War had ended, and the great 1918 worldwide influenza epidemic taken his toll, but people had survived. A new era awaited them, one of social and political changes, technical innovation, economical pros-perity, and artistic and cultural dynamism as Art Deco emerged. Amid those promising years, a new woman was born. She cut her hair, shortened her dress, wore makeup, turned down her hose, pow-dered her knees, smoked, drank, danced all night long, and voted. Sexually, she threw away the Victorian values along with her corset. She was giddy and took risks. She was a flapper.
10 | Ceres Magazine | Oct/Nov 2015
The War is Over
The cover of Life Magazine showing a flapper dancing with an older man. Published February 18th, 1926. (Photo by MPI/Getty Images)
Previous pages, 8-9. From top to left:
1. Marie Prevost
2. Sisters dancing
3. Fancy headdress
4. Colleen Moore
5. Norma Talmadge
6. Billy Dove
7. Carol Lombard
8. Flapper girl posing
9. Bessy Smith
10. African
American flapper
11. Anita Paige
12. Norma Talmadge
13. Sisters with Bob haircuts
14. Flapper sitting
15. Lucy Doraine
16. Lili Damita
17. Anita Paige
18. Mary Eaton