American Pop Culture

History of American Pop Culture in the 1920s

The 1920s are often referred to as the Roaring Twenties in the United States and Europe. This term underscores the optimism of that decade in the wake of the devastation left by the First World War (1914-1918). Specifically, the 1920s were also a period of economic growth and stability in the United States.

This auspicious economic situation allowed some to focus on nightlife, entertainment, and the good life. Consumer advertising promoted cars and appliances like washing machines and vacuum cleaners, making people's lives somewhat easier and allowing them more leisure time. Americans spent some of that time at the movies: the silent film was one of the primary forms of pop culture in the 1920s. They also perceived driving cars as a form of freedom.

At the same time, this period of alcohol Prohibition (1920-1933) translated into underground activities. They included speakeasy establishments that served illegal alcohol and played jazz. Breaking rules also came with the flappers—modern, fashionable women. They embodied the fast pace of urban life and were often featured in movies and advertising.

Consumer Advertising

Companies used the economic prosperity of the Roaring Twenties to promote consumerism. One of how they did so was through print and radio advertising.

Print advertising uses many of the same visual forms as other parts of pop culture.

Other advertisers preferred the comic-strip format with speech bubbles. This allowed the advertisers to provide large amounts of information, fit testimonials into the speech bubbles, and make the entire advertising look like an exciting comic book. The growing field of photography was also one of the preferred consumer-advertising genres. The documentary quality of photography made the advertising scenes appear realistic and made the products seem desirable.

Fig. 1 - Lucky Strike cigarettes, consumer advertising, 1931. Source: Wikipedia Commons.

Many advertisements promoted leisure time spent on relaxation while smoking and driving cars. Other ads promoted products meant to allow families more leisure time, such as vacuum cleaners and refrigerators. Refrigerators, like the ones manufactured by General Electric, were portrayed as the guarantors of health and safety in the family.

1920s Pop Culture: Figures

The 1920s were also essential for silent film and Hollywood's rise due to the Roaring Twenties' economic prosperity.

• Silent films did not have recorded sound. Therefore, they often used exaggerated facial expressions and, sometimes, text on the screen called title cards to fully explain the characters' plot and emotional state. These films were usually accompanied by live music, such as an in-house pianist during screenings.

This era also gave rise to American celebrities such as Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Greta Garbo. Some iconic American film companies, such as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), were also founded. The Roaring Twenties gave birth to the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1930s.

Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin (1897-1977) was an iconic British-American actor, composer, and filmmaker. He became a star during the 1920s and was one of the most recognizable celebrities in the world. Chaplin’s career lasted for several decades. He is, perhaps, best known for his comedies.

Fig. 2 - A Dog's Life poster, 1918. Source: Wikipedia Commons.

Growing up in poverty, Chaplin began acting at a young age. By the early 1920s, he relocated to the United States, where his career flourished.

Mary Pickford

Mary Pickford (1892-1979) was one of the pioneers in American film. She was a well-known silent era star and worked as a producer after her film career. Pickford also established the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and other industry professionals.

Fig. 3 - Mary Pickford, 1916. Source: Library of Congress, Wikipedia Commons.

Mary Pickford's fame spread far beyond America's borders. For instance, she was pretty popular in the Soviet Union.

• In 1926, Pickford visited that country with another screen icon and her husband, Douglas Fairbanks. The Soviet Union even manufactured a candy brand called Pickford-Fairbanks featuring their faces and a U.S. flag. The Soviet Union also made a silent movie called A Kiss from Mary Pickford, in which the two actors made a cameo appearance. This early international celebrity speaks to the significant impact that American pop culture left on the rest of the world.

Fig. 4 - Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. Source: Library of Congress, Wikipedia Commons.

Flappers and Fashion

Flappers came to symbolize the optimism of the Roaring Twenties. They indeed became part of American pop culture of that time and were often featured in the film, advertising, and fashion industries. Flappers often spotted terse haircuts and wore short shapeless dresses showing off their legs. These urban women also wore a lot of makeup and smoked in public. They were considered alluring, independent, and rebellious.

Fig. 5 - An advertising poster for the film Flaming Flappers (1925). Source: Wikipedia Commons.

1920s Pop Culture: Music

In addition to film, celebrities, and fashion, music was another vital realm for 1920s pop culture.

Jazz Age

Jazz was an important musical genre in the 1920s. For this reason, this decade is sometimes called the Jazz Age. For several reasons, jazz was part of the optimism—and the rebellion—of the Roaring Twenties. First, it was performed in smoky speakeasies—underground establishments during the Prohibition era in the United States. Second, many of the most accomplished and most popular Jazz musicians were African-Americans, who were otherwise oppressed in American society at this time. Third, some of the speakeasies’ regulars were flappers—the rebellious women of that decade.

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) was a renowned American musician. Armstrong received a Grammy Award in 1964 and was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. He grew up in poverty and felt passionate about music in his childhood.

In the 1920s, Armstrong played in riverboat dance bands in Mississippi. The young musician then played and wrote music for a popular Chicago band, King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band. Armstrong was influential in the Harlem Renaissance when African-American culture flourished.

Fig. 6 - Louis Armstrong, 1953. Source: Library of Commons, Wikipedia Commons.

He had a solo career playing the trumpet and as a singer. Armstrong was able to display his talent and innovative ways in the realm of jazz indeed. He had a long, successful career and won a Grammy for his vocal performance in the 1964 film Hello, Dolly!

Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington (1899-1974) was a well-known American musician and jazz composer. He was one of the founders of big-band jazz—using at least ten musicians playing several instruments—which became very popular.

Fig. 7 - Duke Ellington, 1966. Source: Wikipedia Commons.

Ellington began to perform music professionally in his teens and became a prominent music community member for five decades. He also became a celebrity of the swing era: an essential time for big-band jazz and dancing.

The composer also sought to combine jazz and classical music.

Ellington wrote music for different formats, such as television and theater. After the Second World War, The Ellington band performed worldwide. His body of work in the realm of jazz is prolific.

Pop Culture after the 1920s

The pop culture changed after the 1920s and continued to grow, reflecting the general social trends of each subsequent decade.

The 1960s were also an innovative decade in consumer advertising, in which young graphic artists broke the established rules and pursued innovative techniques. Each iteration of American pop culture significantly impacted many parts of the world.