DECADES: The 1920s

The “Roaring 20s” introduced us to Flapper culture and the rise of speakeasies after Prohibition banned the sale and manufacture of alcohol. Gangster crime saw its first real rise as the smuggling of booze became a catalyst for mob violence. One of the best events came right at the start of the decade when in 1920 women finally were allowed the vote in the US after fighting for that right for many years. In technology, the 20s saw the boom of the film industry, including “talkies” or sound film towards the end of the decade. Charles Lindbergh flew in “The Spirit of St. Louis” monoplane as the first man to complete the first and longest solo transatlantic flight. The most important innovation, however was the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming, which led to many lives being saved from life-threatening infections and diseases. In fashion, the 20s popularized flapper dresses, headscarves, short curly hair for women, red lipstick, and round, thick sunglasses as re-created here for the art piece.It was a truly “wild” and interesting decade that has become a staple in American pop culture now a century later.