Articles from 1919
A printable selection of the detachable shirt collars
(of both the cotton and rubber varities) available to both men and boys from the 1919 Sears & Roebuck catalog, no. 138.
Men’s Detachable Shirt Collars (Sears and Roebuck Catalog, 1919) Read More »
In our era, we don’t think it terribly odd to see someone in an art museum dressed as though they were going to go poll-vaulting standing next to someone else who is clothed as if they were intending to rope a steer. This sort of untraditional-tradition began in the twenties. The attached link will show you a magazine advertisement for men’s knickers which appeared at a time when this sort of thinking began to evolve and knickerbockers began a new life as an in-town and on-campus fashion choice. Previously, knickers were worn by young boys or strictly for men who enjoyed country sports; other examples of similar active-ware abuse in the Twenties involved the clothing of yachtsmen, hunters and tennis players. This era saw the rise of the sportswear industry.
Knickers Make Their Appearance In Town (Magazine Ad, 1919) Read More »
The Side-Seam suit style had it’s appeal in the early Twenties and could be found in many a magazine in the form of vests and overcoats, however the look did not survive the era and is now numbered among the Zoot Suit and Leisure Suit as one of the forgotten fads of Twentieth Century mode.
The Side-Seam Suit (The Stars and Stripes, 1919) Read More »
During the closing months of the American presence in France, one element can be found in the majority of the letters written to loved ones at home:
The French aren’t treating us as nice.
In the war’s aftermath, writer Alexander Woollcott (1887 – 1943) attempted to explain the situation to his readers; what follows were his observations.
1919: Franco-American Relationship Begin to Cool (The North American Review, 1919) Read More »
Written with a strong spirit of gratitude, this is the obituary of Teddy Roosevelt as it appeared in the N.A.A.C.P. magazine The Crises. Published at a time when the friends of the black man were few, this is a stirring tribute to a man who, although not always an ally, was respected as the world’s greatest protagonist of lofty ideals and principles.
Click here to read a 1945 article about the funeral of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, TR’s nephew.
Click here to read an article about one of New York’s greatest mayors: Fiorello LaGuardia.
Teddy Roosevelt, R.I.P. (The Crises, 1919) Read More »
Photographs of the Christmas Bullet, the flexible-winged strutless bi-plane, and the designer of the craft, Dr. William Christmas (1865 – 1960). Also pictured are the Curtiss two seater, the Dayton-Wright Air Limousine and the Dayton Wright bi-plane.
Click here to read the 1912 obituary of Wilbur Wright.
The Christmas Bullet and Dayton-Wright Biplane (Vanity Fair, 1919) Read More »
An article on the pioneer aviator Harry Hawker (1889 – 1921), written on the heels of his his failed attempt to beat the Yankees in crossing the Atlantic. Australian by birth, Hawker came to Britain specifically to seek a career in the infant aviation industry. His wish was answered in 1912 when he was hired by Tommy Sopwith. Hawker saved his wages to afford flying lessons and acquired his flying permit in the September of that same year. The following month he won the British Michelin Cup with a grueling endurance flight of 8 hr, 23 min. Sopwith was impressed and Hawker was promoted to chief test pilot. The rest is told herein…
from Amazon: Hawker: Aviator, Designer, Test Pilot
Harry Hawker (The Literary Digest, 1919) Read More »
A 1919 film review of Broken Blossoms, directed by D.W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish and Richard Barthelmess:
Broken Blossoms came to the screen a masterpiece in moving pictures. Bare narration of the story cannot hope even to suggest the power and truth of the tragedy that Mr. Griffith has pictured.
You can read more about Lilian Gish here
REVIEWED: Broken Blossoms (Current Opinion, 1919) Read More »
A thumbnail biography of the celebrated silent film director,D.W. Griffith
Publicity Spot for D.W. Griffith (Vanity Fair, 1919) Read More »
At the time this profile first appeared in 1919, P.G Wodehouse (1904 – 1975) had recently resigned his post as the drama critic for Vanity Fair in order to realize his ambitions as a novelist and playwright. This article revealed to all Wodehouse’s keen interest in American slang and American comic strips.
P.G. Wodehouse: Master of American Slang (American Legion Weekly, 1919) Read More »
