1920s-+Prosperity

Caitlin Spinney-Art/Written Expression

During the 1920s two art movements were started. The Surrealism movement started post World War I. Many new ways of creating the art were discovered during this movement. Automatic drawing and painting were just a few of the new Surrealist practices. This movement was formed to show European avant-garde of the 1920s.It started out primarily as a literary movement that showcased the experimentation with language without consious control. During this time, photography and cinema were recognized as forms of art as well. The Art Deco movement started around 1925 and was a movement in decorative arts that also effected architecture. This type of art was popular in Europe since the early 1920s but did not become popular in the United States untill 1928. Art Deco stands out due to the materials that were used to create it including aluminum,stainless steel,lacquer,inlaid wood,and zebra skin. Bright colors and patterns were also used.

This is an example of surrealist art.



This is an example of art from the Art Deco movement.

The 1920s was a time of prosperity and growth of our Nation. This decade brought about many changes and people were trying new things. These reflect in the art created during that time. The two new movements were a sign of change and they were very different from any art created before.People were writing and creating things that were a bit more controversial than things being made prior to the 1920s. The bright bold colors reflected the carefree feel of the prosperious 1920s.

Bree Reese-Crisis and Controversies

Two big things happened during the 1920s, The Prohibition Act, and the Mafia. Both topics had not only a huge impact on the people; they also had an impact on the economy. President Woodrow Wilson put the Prohibition Act, also known as the Volstead Act, into place in the year 1920. It stated that the sale, transport and manufacture of alcohol for consumption were banned nationally as mandated in the 18th amendment. Although little was done to enforce the law, it stimulated rampant underground, organized and widespread criminal activity. The halt of beer and alcohol production also meant the loss of a lot of jobs, nationwide as well as a $500 million lack of tax revenue from alcohol. In the month of March 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Cullen-Harrison Act, allowing the manufacture and sale of certain types of alcohol. This helped the economy by bringing back some of the lost tax revenue and by creating more jobs.



The mafia of the 1920’s impacted the world quite a few ways. Guided by a code f conduct called Omerta, it was an organization that was completely outside of the law. There were known for doing a lot of underground alcohol business that really helped the economy be creating a lot of profit and sending it out every where. Out of all of the Mafia there were select mobsters who were very powerful and wealthy. For example, Alcapone, Johnny Torio, and Dutch Schultz, who were known to have the most violent, illegal and dirtiest businesses out of them all. These type of men were allied with many social leaders and had the ability to corrupt almost any justice.



Adam Hart – __Jobs/Salaries__

The 1920s was the decade that started on January 1, 1920 and ended on December 31, 1929. Also known as the “Roaring Twenties” or the “Golden Twenties”. The world experienced several revolutions in scientific discoveries, politics, and music, but there were also changes in other areas significantly in jobs and salaries. In the 1920s the economy was in a state of growth with rising profits, with an unemployment rate of only 5.2%. Not only that but incomes were increased amongst workers, which lead to more consumer spending. Factory jobs were low paying, dirty, crowded, dangerous, and unethical but many children worked in these conditions. Despite these poor conditions factory jobs were booming, and production soared. Immigrants came in from Italy and Ireland to work in cities, and more and more families were moving to the cities to find opportunities. The average annual earnings in the 20s was $1236, but most made below that amount, such as a teachers salary, $970.

The government realized the workers were working in dangerous conditions, but they also knew that a lot of supplies were being produced. Some of the reasons for not helping the workers was it would have cost the government money to enforce new policies, many jobs would just be dropped because of it being too dangerous, and then this would affect markets and the economy. When this happens, the unemployment rate & prices will rise, and food and supplies will go down. This could lead to a recession if not a depression.



Movies

The 1920s was the beginning decade for the motion picture sensation. The appeal of movies for people in that time was the fact that they were so cheap. For teens, a ticket was only about $.07. During the early 20s, 50 million people, an equivalent of half the nation, went to the cinema per week. To meet the demand of the public, the Big Five studios consisting of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, RKO, 20th-Century Fox, and Warner Bros. were established to make movies more efficiently. Other studios like Columbia Pictures and Universal Pictures were developed as well, but lacked their own movie theaters, which made them underdogs in the film industry.

For most of the 20s, films were silent until Warner Bros. released //The Jazz Singer// in 1927. Immediately after its release, theaters were immediately installed with sound systems to keep up with the trend of "talkies." What studios thought was just a fad quickly turned into the permanent way to make films. For a while, studios still had to make silent and sound versions of films because theaters didn't all have sound systems installed in them. By 1929, movie attendance soared up to 90 million people per week and Hollywood dominated more than 85% of the world movie market.

Inventions/Firsts The 1920s was a time where there were many inventions and discoveries being made and people to invest in them. In the early '20s, both radio and television were created along with the first 3-D movies. These inventions helped the economy because people like to be entertained and will pay for it, so they were buying radios and T.Vs so they could tune into their favorite programs and payed to go see movies, boosting the economy. Other household items were also invented, like the hairdryer, pre-packaged frozen foods and Band-Aids. As the economy grew, people had the extra money to spend on things that they didn't necessarily need.

Bigger inventions include rockets, penicillin, and cars with combustion engines. With the invention of penicillin, doctors were able to cure many illnesses and when there's a better economy, the healthcare is usually better. Rockets boosted the economy because it was another step closer to space exploration which was something the government was investing huge amounts of money into. Finally, cars with combustion engines were another sign of the economy improving because families had the money to spend on the pleasures of life.

Sammi Crabill- Home Life/Housing With the end of World War I, consumer spending went through the roof and the economy was doing well. For those living in the 1920s, that meant that their everyday lives were going to be changed by new inventions and ideas that would quickly become the norm for Americans. Advancements in transportation started off this spending boom. Demand for the new, no longer boxy, cars went up, and with post-war bargain prices, owning a personal vehicle now became a common thing among middle class families. With the new mode of transportation, families flocked by the thousands away from cities into residential, suburban neighborhoods. Now that they could commute to and from work using their cars, living in teh city seemed unnecessary. Suddenly, the home construction market skyrocketed. Everyone wanted a piece of this new, commuter-American lifestyle. America was flourishing as new developments began popping up everywhere and along with their new homes, U.S. citizens began changing the way that their home life was as well. Posters screamed that new appliances would "bring joy and health into a home" and the American public responded by rushing to buy vacuum cleaners, washing machines, refrigerators, and the electric iron. The idea of having appliances to make your life easier appealed to the busy families of the time. As the mid 1920s rolled around, so did the startling new toy called a radio. This was the beginning of a connected world. Despite all of the difficulties it took to install them, radios ran for only $150. On these radios, they broadcast sports, had variety shows and brought the idea of having music programs. This created public personalities and it became the new "family time" to gather around the radio.

Madison Allison- Sports and Leasers

The 1920s was the decade when sports became popular. It was better known a “The Roaring 20s” Famous people such as Ty Cobb, Jack Dempsey, and Suzanne Flore started their careers in the 1920s. In 1920s the average price ticket was only 1.00$, and the average franchise value was 7.12 million. Now in the 2000s the average ticket price is 18.42$. This shows the economy was well enough to have ticket prices so low. The average salary in the 1920s for Ty Cobb was 72,017.60$.

On July 2,1921, American boxer Jack “ the Manassa Mauler” Dempse fought a french man for the title of the heavy weight champion. This fight alone helped the econon,y by gaining 1 million dollars. This was known as the “Battle of the Century”. Also dog racing was introduced which gained the economy 200,000$ each race.



Paige Benjamin-Fashion

Fashion was a huge cultural aspect of the 1920s. Women and men both used it as an outlet to express their individuality and sexuality. All across the nation, people embraced fashion and used it to fuel their desire for fun and a carefree attitude. In the 1920s, fashion stimulated the economy. Flappers, feathered hats, and long pearls were all huge trends during this time. The economy benefited from these new fashions trends because it gave women an excuse to dress up and explore the nightlife—which in turn, helped restaurants, shops, etc. The soft colors and cool outfits reflected the jazz era and the relaxed atmosphere that society had due to economic progress.

In the 1920s, fashion was all about having a good time. Clothing was breezy and light, introducing a more risqué look to the public. Lower necklines and tighter dresses brought women into the spotlight and made them more noticeable. Clubs, dancing, and nightlife were the inspiration for these outfits, making them the key symbol of the time. These flirty looks represented the prosperity and happiness during this period.