what do you remember about the 20s?

Celebrate the Music, Culture, and Memories of your favorite decade!
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spot
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by spot »

Since Hope started the current craze for recollection I thought we might go for a decade I recall more vividly. I'm not sure what I was doing during the 70s but it probably involved a lot of late night shifts and some fierce deadlines.

I had a far more leisured time of it in the 20s. People these days talk of the luxury transatlantic liner crossings as essentially a phenomenon which ended with the Great War but my opinion differs, the liners of the 20s beat the earlier Cunarders hands down for comfort. The Lusitania and Mauretania were fast, of course, but they couldn't be said to cut peaceably through the water once their steam turbines were wound out to the stops. The Bremen in particular had a smooth ride. The star ships of the mid-30s beat both hands down but the reason the 20s stay particularly in my mind was the exuberance of the company on board. The Great War was done with, the clouds of Nazism were nowhere yet on the horizon, we were the gay generation the like of which was never known before or since. It's where I got my first bite of the Contract Bridge bug too.

Music, for the first time ever, moved out of the concert hall into ordinary studies and retiring rooms with the advent of live radio broadcasts. The miracle of sitting five hundred miles from Carnegie Hall listening to each of the George Gershwin world premieres under Walter Damrosch is indelibly branded in my memory. What times they were.

Prohibition inevitably forms the backdrop to these reminiscences. With money and connections nobody dreamed of enquiring into my possession or consumption of alcohol which is just as well, the cellars had several hundred cases of Burgundy and rock solid Saint-Emilions dating back to the 1880s and I most certainly wasn't going to let those be banned out of existence! For the man in the street, though, the legacy of those years is the permanent organized crime and the impenetrable corruption which goes with it. The 20s were the beginning of the end.

Who'd like to pick up the baton? My eyes brim with tears and I can type no more.
Nullius in verba ... ☎||||||||||| ... To Fate I sue, of other means bereft, the only refuge for the wretched left.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
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along-for-the-ride
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by along-for-the-ride »

Very interesting post, Spot. :)

My father was born in 1927 in Chicago. A few years ago, I found a newspaper on E-bay that was printed in that year from Chicago. I won it and sent to my dad. It was like opening a small window into that era......the society news, the crime news, and the pictures.

Do tell us more about what you remember. I don't believe it was "the roaring twenties" for everyone.
Life is a Highway. Let's share the Commute.
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chonsigirl
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by chonsigirl »

Jazz................:)
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Galbally
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by Galbally »

I myself am most fond of the 1890s, it was a grand time to be a European then, spent some time in East Africa, then moved on down to the cape, where I was involved in a minor skirmish with some Boer type fellows, I recall a young man called Michael Caine had been there several years previous and had opened a small laundry, lovely fellow.

The 1890s was a time of great optimisim, the vice trade had started to boom in London again as people (I mean the ladies) had generally recovered from that dreadful Ripper chap who had been roaming around whitechapel several years previous.

I remember I had a beautiful house near SW1 and my Handson Cab would bring me to the club in Mayfair every evening at 8 faithfully, of course being Irish some of the old boys distrusted me somewhat, but I soon put them at ease with my tales of the Tsar and Tsarina, and also my brief stint in the legation in Shanghai, with those odd Chinese fellows.

It was in the 1890s that we Europeans realized that those godawful colonial chappies in that new fangled place America might well be onto something, New York was becoming quite fashionable at the time and Wild West shows were all the rage, with real Red Indians as well, astounding.

We were all very interested in the paranormal in those days as well, I remember I made a brisk trade working for several weeks as "The Great Mephisto" in Paris (France of course being the only place to be at the time), where I told the fortunes, and stole the fortunes of many fine ladies. As yes my friends, the 1890s a wonderful decade.
"We are never so happy, never so unhappy, as we imagine"



Le Rochefoucauld.



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My dad 1986.
Patsy Warnick
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by Patsy Warnick »

Spot - I am very fond of the 20's. I'm a collector of stuff - magazines - documents-photos and I love the old mesh/beaded purses from the 20's & on.

What a wonderful growth time, you have wonderful memories..?

My Dad was born 1918 - didn't talk much of the past. I find it interesting.

Thank You

Patsy

'70's - you can see that on TV
mikeinie
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by mikeinie »

Good thread.
koan
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by koan »

I'm afraid it was all a haze to me.:-6
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BTS
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by BTS »

Nice post spot.



I was lucky that I was partially raised by my dads mother,

my..."Grandma Virginia" (Born 3rd Nov. 1907 in Kern County CA.) She was named after the state of Virginia where many of her forefathers came from.

She was born and raised on a Ranch/Farm in the 1910's-20's and related many stories to me, one I will never forget goes like this:



When she was about 13 (Abt 1920) they lived on a place about 10 miles to the next neighbors place. They were devout catholics and once a year the father would come around for tithing's or whatever he could get.

They were having a REALLY hard tyme this year and her mother told the father that they just could not make a contribution this year......



To make a long story short, the father looked around and spied their milk cow and said "Mrs. Palmer, that looks like a fine cow, perhaps you could spare it"



Her mother looked at the father and said "I'll be damned if you are to take the food out of my children's mouths"

"Now you just get out of here"



And that was the way it was in 1920 and one of the MAIN reasons I do not believe in organized religion
"If America Was A Tree, The Left Would Root For The Termites...Greg Gutfeld."
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Hope6
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by Hope6 »

JAB;921150 wrote: I was always partial to the Flapper dresses and dancing to the Charleston. :D


i always liked the flapper dresses and dancing the Charleston too! :cool:
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along-for-the-ride
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by along-for-the-ride »

Galbally;921170 wrote: I myself am most fond of the 1890s, it was a grand time to be a European then, spent some time in East Africa, then moved on down to the cape, where I was involved in a minor skirmish with some Boer type fellows, I recall a young man called Michael Caine had been there several years previous and had opened a small laundry, lovely fellow.

The 1890s was a time of great optimisim, the vice trade had started to boom in London again as people (I mean the ladies) had generally recovered from that dreadful Ripper chap who had been roaming around whitechapel several years previous.

I remember I had a beautiful house near SW1 and my Handson Cab would bring me to the club in Mayfair every evening at 8 faithfully, of course being Irish some of the old boys distrusted me somewhat, but I soon put them at ease with my tales of the Tsar and Tsarina, and also my brief stint in the legation in Shanghai, with those odd Chinese fellows.

It was in the 1890s that we Europeans realized that those godawful colonial chappies in that new fangled place America might well be onto something, New York was becoming quite fashionable at the time and Wild West shows were all the rage, with real Red Indians as well, astounding.

We were all very interested in the paranormal in those days as well, I remember I made a brisk trade working for several weeks as "The Great Mephisto" in Paris (France of course being the only place to be at the time), where I told the fortunes, and stole the fortunes of many fine ladies. As yes my friends, the 1890s a wonderful decade.


I knew it............ Gallbally is ageless. That's what makes you so wise.:)
Life is a Highway. Let's share the Commute.
RedGlitter
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by RedGlitter »

I ran with the Suffragettes and dated rumrunners. :rolleyes:
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Kathy Ellen
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by Kathy Ellen »

RedGlitter;921968 wrote: I ran with the Suffragettes and dated rumrunners. :rolleyes:


Huuuummmmm.....I always knew that you are a wild and crazy girl Red:wah::wah:

Was this your ship that turned up in the Barnegat Bay??

RedGlitter
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by RedGlitter »

Oh Applesauce, Kathy Ellen! You're just the Bee's Knees for finding that! I'm tickled right down to my galoshes and yellow rainslicker. Ain't we the Cat's Pajamas?

Ok...that's all the 20s slang and fashion I know right now. I knew it would come in handy! :wah: ;)
Patsy Warnick
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by Patsy Warnick »

Spot & All

There's a magazine called "Reminisce"

web sit

www.reminisce.com

1800-344-6913

I'd never seen this magazine before - it's interesting, brings back the good times.

Thought you'd like to check it out.

Patsy
mikeinie
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what do you remember about the 20s?

Post by mikeinie »

An invention, which soon after became a popular fad, is the radio. If you tuned in at the right time, you could catch comedy shows, news, live events, jazz, variety shows, drama, opera, you name it, the radio had it! Discovered in the 1920's were penicllin and discovery of insulin for diabetic.This decade had some major breakthroughs in medicine and science.

The peanut butter and jelly sandwich became famous in 1922. The #1 book on the bestseller list was a Manners book by Emily Post. People said it was a good book because it was not snobby. Calvin Coolidge, a president of a few words, was so famous for saying so little that a White House dinner guest made a bet that she could get the president to say more than two words. She told the president of her wager. His reply, "You lose.

In November of 1923, Lord Carnavon has just opened Pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb, but was a superstition about the Pharaoh's curse. The superstition said that if someone opened and "disturbed" a mummified pharaoh, a curse would be placed on the finder of the coffin. Apparently, six months after Tutankhamen's tomb was opened, Lord Carnavon died of an insect bite while working in the tomb.

The 1920’s was the decade of entertainment. Rin-Tin-Tin, the movie dog, used to be a starving German Shepherd dog during the Great War. He became most famous dog ever to star in the movies in 1923. The first radio broadcast ever came out in November of 1920. The first Miss America contest was held on September 8, 1921. Metro Goldwyn Mayer film making studio was founded. A new Pooh Bear story by A.A. Milne was a big hit for little children. Mickey Mouse became everyone's favorite cartoon character in Steamboat Willie.

The Supreme Court struck down a 1918 minimum-wage law for District of Columbia woman because with the vote, women were considered equal to men. This ruling canceled all state minimum wage laws. Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming becomes the first woman elected governor of a state. Bertha Knight Landes is the first woman elected governor of a sizable city, Seattle, Washington.

On October 24, 1929, later to be known as Black Thursday, the stock market began its downhill drop. After the first hour, the prices had gone down at an amazing speed. Some people thought that after that day, the prices would rise again just as it had done before. But it didn’t. Prices kept dropping, and on October 29, 1929, Black Tuesday, more than 16 million shares were sold, but by the end of the day, most stocks ended below their previous value, and some stocks became totally worthless. Because of that, some people became homeless and penniless, all because of the Stock Market Crash. By November 13, the prices had hit rock bottom. The stock AT&T had gone from $304, to the price of $197. America had celebrated for eight years, but now, everything was wasted in just a few weeks, by the Stock Market. It was a sad ending to this glorious decade!

1920 - November 2: First Radio broadcast; President Warren Harding elected; women get their first vote

1921 - September 8: First Miss America pageant held in Atlantic City; November 11: Unknown soldier of World War I buried

1922 - November 26: Archaeologist Howard Carter finds tomb of Tutankhamen near Luxor, Egypt

1923 - August 2: President Harding dies; August 3: Vice President Calvin Coolidge is sworn into office as president

1924 - February 3: Former President Woodrow Wilson dies; November 4: Calvin Coolidge is elected President

1925 - October 2: Scottish inventor John Baird invents the first form of a television

1927 - First talking movie, The Jazz Singer released; May 20: Spirit of St. Louis and pilot Charles Lindbergh land in Paris

1928 - September 19: First Mickey Mouse talking film, Steamboat Willie, released by Walt Disney; November 6: Herbert Hoover elected President

1929 - October 24: Start of the Stock Market Crash

The 1920's was, for 8 years and 3/4 of 1929, a very happy decade. The last 1/4 was the Stock Market Crash that could have started the Great Depression that lasted straight through the 1930' s, not ending until mid-1940. A war started before 1920, and a war broke out in 1929. Although it was called the Great Depression, people killed others, killed themselves, became homeless, and became penniless. Actually, the eight years of happiness might have felt like a small vacation to a person who lived during the time.

Confession: This in not from memory but from the internet.
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