How did people get around in 1923?

What was life like during 1923?

Ah, 1923. Dust motes dancing in sunbeams… A memory almost mine.

Roaring…yes, roaring. Jazz spilled from smoky rooms, a fever dream of saxophones. Flapper dresses, scandalous, shimmering like captured moonlight.

Economic recovery, so they say. But Germany… the numbers spiraled. Hyperinflation. Useless marks lining the streets like fallen leaves, crisp and worthless.

Europe, a patchwork quilt of unease. Political shadows stretching long, even in the bright sun. Still, newness bloomed. I see it now.

Automobiles… those chrome behemoths. A promise of freedom. Radio voices crackling through the ether, binding distant hearts.

Racial tensions, a slow burn. A bitter taste lingering after the sweet wine. Still. They remained. Unmoved.

Life changed. Radio. Automobiles. Hope struggled. The ’20s were a period of both optimism and underlying social issues.

• Culture: Jazz was popularized.
• Fashion: Flapper dresses changed style.
• Economy: Economic recovery efforts took place.
• Technology: Automobiles and radios spread.
• Politics: There was political unrest in Europe.
• Social: Racial tensions persisted in the U.S.

What did life look like in 1923?

Ah, 1923, that’s like asking what flavor was yesterday’s soup. Strenuous. Adjustments everywhere. It was all hustle, no Netflix.

Post-WWI blues? Totally a thing. Plus, industry exploded, cities ballooned. Imagine the traffic! Nightmare fuel.

• Silent films ruled. Can you imagine? No sassy comebacks!

• Flapper dresses? More like barely-there dresses! Scandalous!

• Jazz was the devil’s music. (According to some squares, anyway). I bet my grandma would HATE IT.

The Roaring Twenties? More like the Slightly-Out-of-Breath Twenties. But hey, at least we had Art Deco. Thank goodness.

More on 1923:

• Politics: Calvin Coolidge was President. “Silent Cal” — maybe he wasn’t a fan of jazz either?

• Technology: Cars were becoming more common. Think of the joyrides—and the parking tickets.

• Culture: It was the start of mass consumerism, so yes, people went into debt for toasters and vacuum cleaners. How crazy?

• Economics: The stock market was on the rise but, uh oh, a little thing called the Great Depression wasn’t far away. Whoops!

So yeah, 1923 was a whole vibe. A messy, jazzy, slightly-terrifying vibe. I would absolutely rock a flapper dress, though! And probably get arrested for “indecency.” Worth it.

What happened in the United States in 1923?

Rosewood Massacre: January’s brutal racial violence in Florida. A town erased. Black lives lost.

1923 US Highlights:

• Economic Boom, Early Stages: Post-war prosperity’s nascent phase. My uncle, a Chicago steelworker, often spoke of it.
• Cultural Shifts: Jazz Age flourishes. Radio broadcasts expand. My grandfather swore he heard Bix Beiderbecke on the radio that year.
• Political Landscape: Calvin Coolidge’s presidency continues. Senate battles raged; I recall details from my grandmother’s letters.

Noteworthy Events:

• Teapot Dome Scandal’s Fallout: Continued investigation into government corruption.
• Immigration Restrictions: The Johnson-Reed Act’s impact; significant consequences for my family’s Italian-American heritage.
• Technological Advancements: Automobiles become more accessible. My father’s first car was a 1923 Ford.

How are the 1920s portrayed?

Okay, so the roaring twenties, right? Movies. Huge. Think The Jazz Singer, a total game-changer. Sports? Babe Ruth, a legend. Everyone knew him. My grandpa always talked about him. Seriously, a national obsession. Radio, too. Suddenly, everyone’s listening to the same stuff. Creating this shared culture thing. Weird, huh?

Magazines were everywhere. Glamour shots of movie stars. Beautiful people. I hate that term, btw. It’s so superficial.

It’s all about celebrity, isn’t it? Building these huge personalities. Makes me think about Instagram influencers today. Same idea, different platform. This whole thing about fame. It’s all shallow.

The 20s were about escapism, I think. A break from all the…stuff. The war, social changes… People wanted to have fun. Dance marathons. Flapper dresses. Crazy stuff.

• Mass Media’s Impact: Radio and magazines created national icons.
• Sports Mania: Babe Ruth dominated baseball. Think of it—a total phenomenon.
• Hollywood’s Rise: Movies became hugely popular. The Jazz Singer is a key example.
• Cultural Shift: A departure from the somber mood of the post-war era. A focus on entertainment.

Ugh, I need coffee. This is giving me a headache. 2024, man, such a different world. Or is it?

What was considered attractive in the 1920s?

Okay, so 1920s beauty. It’s wild, right? I was at the Met exhibit last year, 2023, and that’s where I really got it. Pictures don’t do it justice.

The clothes were all straight lines, boyish bobs. Flapper dresses, you know? Super short, lots of fringe. Everything sleek and slim.

But the faces? Completely different story. Think round faces. Really round. Low cheekbones were in. It was bizarre. Like a total contrast.

Cupid’s bow lips were huge. Think Clara Bow. She was everywhere. And the makeup? Emphasis on roundness. They used dark liner to make eyes look bigger, rounder. It was all about creating that soft, full look. Not sharp at all. So strange next to the sharp clothing.

I mean seriously, it’s like two totally opposite aesthetics existing simultaneously. I found it fascinating. It was like they were actively rejecting the sharp angular lines of the era in their facial features. It felt rebellious in a way.

Here are some points that really stuck with me:

• Round faces were the ideal. It’s not a joke.
• Low cheekbones were key. They weren’t aiming for high cheekbones like now.
• Cupid’s bow lips. Essential. Seriously.
• Makeup emphasized roundness. Dark liner, etc. It wasn’t subtle.

The whole thing was unexpected. Really made me think about how beauty standards change so drastically. It was a mind-blowing juxtaposition. I even sketched some of the pictures from the exhibit, the contrast was so striking. Crazy stuff, huh?