Life in the 1920s
One of the most popular decades, the Roaring 20’s, is now 100 years old. I wanted to look back at what life was like in the 1920s. All the original photos are from the 1920s and have been drawn over using Photoshop. The photos came from picryl.com, and research into the 1920s from history.com.
Flapper
One of the most popular sights of the Roaring 20s is the Flapper. Women and women’s fashion really began to come into their own, and flappers were at the forefront of it. They had short hair, smoked, drank, were more sexually free, and didn’t worry about being ladylike.
Women Can Vote
Women in the 1920s didn’t just turn their noses to being ladylike, they also got more rights, including the right to vote. In 1920 the 19th Amendment passed giving women the right to vote.
Prohibition
Another Amendment that helped shaped the 1920s was the 18th Amendment which made selling and distributing alcohol illegal. This led to the spread of speakeasies as well as mobsters. There were also the not-so-popular prohibition officers who were tasked with destroying any alcohol they found.
Music of the 1920s
Music, especially Jazz, was very popular in the 1920s as mass culture was born. This led to the birth of popular dance crazes such as the Charleston. People of the 1920s loved to go to dance halls and listen to music on the radio.
Radio in the 1920s
Mass culture was fueled in part by commercial radio stations. The first one was KDKA in Pittsburgh in 1920, and in three years there were more than 500 stations across the United States.
Automobiles
Part of the boom of mass culture and one of the most iconic things to come out of this decade was the birth of the automobile. It all started with the Ford Model T and only grew until cars became a popular way of getting around.
Home Appliances
Along with radios, and cars, home appliances became more and more popular during the 1920s. One of these appliances was the refrigerator.
Construction in the 20s
A strong economy of the 1920s and a growth of consumer goods created a need for more buildings, including some new skyscrapers in many cities.
Film in the 1920s
Going to the movies was also a major part of the lives of the people in the 1920s. Movies began the decade as silent films, before transitioning to “talkies.” It was estimated that by the end of the decade, three quarters of Americans went to the movies each week.