1920s Popular
Culture
Societal Barriers are
Diminished
The Lost Generation
» Writers in America
began to criticize
America’s
materialism
» Moved to Europe
because they felt
that America was
“an enemy to the
artist”
» Some of these
authors were:




F. Scott Fitzgerald
Ernest Hemingway
Gertrude Stein
John Dos Passos
At the Movies
» During the 1920s people went to the
movies about once a week
» Movie theaters served as a social
class equalizer
 All tickets cost the same
 All attendees were treated equal
 People in Manhattan, NY saw the same
movies as people in Manhattan, KS
Movies & Pop Culture
» Gossip columnists wrote about
movie stars’ loves, marriages,
divorces, etc.
 People were able to “know” the stars &
feel a connection to them
» Movies transformed people’s tastes
& behaviors
 Began to wear the same hairstyles &
fashions as the stars
Then & Now
a Comparison
» Movies became a part of 1920s pop
culture & influenced the everyday
lives of Americans. How does this
compare to today’s popular
culture?
Heroes of Flight
» In 1927, Charles Lindbergh became
the first person to fly solo across the
Atlantic Ocean
 Called ‘The Lone Eagle’
» In 1928, Amelia Earhart became the
first woman to fly solo across the
Atlantic Ocean
Sports in 1920s Pop Culture
» Prior to the 1920s, tennis and golf were
wealthy people’s sports.
 Tennis & golf clubs were private & open only
to those able to purchase a membership
» By the late 1920s, municipal tennis courts
& golf courses were opened for anyone
who wished to play these sports.
» How did this equalize society?
Sporting Events
» During the 1920s, people began to
regularly attend sporting events.
 It was an escape from everyday life
 A place to gather with family & friends
» Not only attended professional sporting
events, but college sporting events
became popular as well.
» What are some similarities in today’s pop
culture?
Professional Sports Heroes
» Boxing: Jack Dempsey was the
heavyweight champion. There were
no other weight classes.
» Swimming: Gertrude Ederle, 19
years old, swam the English Channel
& beat the fastest man’s time.
 The University of Arizona has produced
some female Olympic swimming stars,
can you name any?
Baseball & Segregation
» Major League Baseball flourished in the
1920s.
» The major league did NOT allow African
Americans to play.
» A separate Negro League answered this
problem.
» Major League Baseball would not be
desegregated until 1948.
» Baseball fans, who was the first African
American to play in the MLB?
Baseball Stars
» Babe Ruth: played for the Boston Red Sox
& was traded to the New York Yankees.
Nickname: Sultan of Swat.
» Oscar Charleston: career batting
average of .348, regularly led the Negro
League in home runs & stolen bases.
Played for: Chicago American Giants, St.
Louis Giants, Harrisburg Giants, Lincoln
Stars, Philadelphia Hilldales, Homestead
Grays, & Pittsburgh Crawfords. Played
from 1915-1945.
Radio
» First start in Detroit & Pittsburgh when the
1920 presidential election returns were
broadcast.
» By mid-1920s, almost every home had a
radio.
» Brought entertainment to peoples homes,
radio shows consisted of dramas,
comedies, music, & variety shows.
» Advertising helped influence mass
marketing.
Then & Now
» Create a Venn Diagram comparing
and contrasting 1920s “pop culture”
to today’s “pop culture”.