Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Olympics in the 20s
The Olympic Flag, which flies in the main stadium and all other venues of the Games, is white with five interlaced rings in the center. The rings are blue, yellow, black, green and red, with the blue ring high on he left, nearest the flag pole. These rings represent the five continents joined in the Olympic Movement. The proper arrangement and interlacing of the rings is shown on the sketch below. here is no country that has not one or more of these colours in its national flag. It was created in 1913, at the suggestion of Baron de Coubertin, and was used for the first time at the Olympic Games in 1920 at Antwerp.
There are official flags for both the Olympic Games and the Olympic Winter Games.
In 1920's Olympic flags and posters were popular and very creative and colorful.
 
A FACT;
positive note, the 1920 Games was notable for the first appearance of Paavo Nurmi, one of the "Flying Finns." Nurmi was a runner who was ran like a mechanical man - body erect, always at an even pace. Nurmi even carried a stopwatch with him as he ran so that he could evenly pace himself. Nurmi returned to run in the 1924 and the 1928 Olympic Games winning, in total, seven gold medals.
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Friday, October 12, 2012
the start of Coco Chanel was in the 20s
The start of Coco Chanel was in the 20s
During the 1920s, Coco Chanel became the first designer to create loose women's jersey, traditionally used for men's underwear, creating a relaxed style for women ignoring the stiff corseted look of the time. They soon became very popular with clients, a post-war generation of women for whom the corseted restricted clothing seemed old-fashioned and impractical.
By the 1920s, Maison Chanel was established at 31, rue Cambon in Paris (which remains its headquarters to this day) and become a fashion force to be reckoned with. Chanel became a style icon herself with her striking bob haircut and tan placing her at the cutting edge of modern style.
In 1922, she launched the fragrance Chanel No. 5, which remains popular to this day. Two years later, Pierre Wertheimer became her business partner (taking on 70% of the fragrance business), and reputedly her lover. The Wertheimers continue to control the perfume company today.
By the 1920s, Maison Chanel was established at 31, rue Cambon in Paris (which remains its headquarters to this day) and become a fashion force to be reckoned with. Chanel became a style icon herself with her striking bob haircut and tan placing her at the cutting edge of modern style.
In 1922, she launched the fragrance Chanel No. 5, which remains popular to this day. Two years later, Pierre Wertheimer became her business partner (taking on 70% of the fragrance business), and reputedly her lover. The Wertheimers continue to control the perfume company today.
In 1925, Chanel launched her signature cardigan jacket, and the following year matched its success with her little black dress. Both items continue to be a staple part of every Chanel collection.
The story behind Coco chanel little black dress
All the famous innovations in fashion and design cannot outshine the fame of the single Chanel Little Black Dress. Coco Chanel introduced it in a time between the wars, when the bright colors, prints and heavy embroideries dominated the fashion.
The long-sleeved black dress, which was initially made for day in wool, and for evening in crepe, satin or velvet, shook up the world of fashion. Later appeared the other variations of a little black dress: short, sleeveless, in a pleated black chiffon, in black lace…
In 1926 American Vogue named Coco Chanel black dress "a Ford", meaning it’s simplicity and it’s potential for an enormous and long-lasting success. It was the little black dress of Chanel, that inspired the famous remark of her competitor Paul Poiret: "What has Chanel invented? De luxe poverty."
The Chanel little black dress became a symbol of chic and sophisticated simplicity.
The long-sleeved black dress, which was initially made for day in wool, and for evening in crepe, satin or velvet, shook up the world of fashion. Later appeared the other variations of a little black dress: short, sleeveless, in a pleated black chiffon, in black lace…
In 1926 American Vogue named Coco Chanel black dress "a Ford", meaning it’s simplicity and it’s potential for an enormous and long-lasting success. It was the little black dress of Chanel, that inspired the famous remark of her competitor Paul Poiret: "What has Chanel invented? De luxe poverty."
The Chanel little black dress became a symbol of chic and sophisticated simplicity.
1920's Jewelry
Costume Jewelry increased in popularity during the 1920's
Costume jewelry became popular in the early 1920's when the new fashions for women were casual as well as sporty, and were not very well suited to the formal nature of precious stones. The Art Nouveau movement had already shifted the public's focus to appearance rather than cost. Following the war there was a major trend toward non-precious jewelry.
The Art Deco movement was a popular design style of the 1920's that often used strong colors and geometric shapes to convey the "modern" look. It used sleek, streamlined forms to convey elegance and sophistication. This was a period of wonderful new inventions, upbeat music, and flappers. Jewelry materials ranged from the new plastics through to rubies, gold, and platinum. Platinum was the new luxury metal used with stones like coral, jade, aquamarine, citrin, onyx and opal. Trend-setting designers were Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli.
Inspiration came from such diverse sources as Nature, China and Japan, and the Pharoahs of Egypt. Following Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb and artifacts in 1922 Egyptian motifs were the rage. While many of the designers of the 1920's based their jewelry on geometric forms: circles, arcs, squares, rectangles and triangles etc. there were other designers who took their inspiration from nature.
High quality cutting and polishing of precious and semi-precious gem stones with the aid of machines took over from the traditional hand cutting and polishing which had been used for thousands of years. This meant that more facets and complicated and new cuts could be introduced to show stones in their best possible light.
The fashions of the twenties required new and different fashion accessories. The new style dresses with their low cut neck-lines and shorter sleeves provided opportunities to display jewelry around necks and wrists.Beaded bags in colourful designs were draped over the shoulder or fixed to a belt and looked absolutely stunning beneath the ceiling fans with lights. Flappers were often draped with large strings of beads. There was an art to wearing jewellery as decoration especially in the upper classes. The fashion in jewellery was often set by the well-to-do who were observed and reported by others and then copied.
Once synthetic plastics became widely available it became possible to mass produce jewelry which made it more affordable. Plastic suited the new mechanical processes and design philosophies and was available in a wide variety of colors and finishes. Manufacturers sprang up along the length of the East Coast of America to produce beads, bracelets, brooches, pendants, pens and buckles that mimicked existing materials like tortoise-shell and pearl, but also explored new directions.
The advantage of plastic jewelry was in its lightness and simplicity. Bakelite (phenolic resin) which had been around since the early 1900's was light, warm, and very tough and could be used to imitate natural materials. New processes were developed in the 1920's which increased the number of colors it could be produced in.
More expensive jewelry crafted in white gold or platinum and featuring precious stones, but still using geometric shapes, was favored by the wealthy. Magnificent pieces of jewellery were sold by Tiffany and other high-class jewelers, which remain among the most popular antique jewellery to this day and are eagerly sought after by collectors.
Gruen Guild Watches and Elgin Watches are typical examples of expensive tastes in 1920's jewelry, with the top of the range models costing more than a years salary of a typical worker. For example, The 1927 Gruen Bracelet Watch for ladies, with an 18-jewel Dietrich Gruen Extra Precision movement, iridium platinum case and full length bracelet fully paved with diamonds was $1985. Other diamond set designs were priced from $3000 to $60.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
1920's Interior Decorating
1920's Interior Decorating
In the 1920's the standard of interior decoration increased along with standards of housing
Many homes of this period were decorated in the Arts & Crafts style, variations of traditional Georgian and Colonial styles, or Art Moderne which embraced the marvels of the Machine Age of the 1920's and 1930's.
"One who sets out to furnish a given house for the occupancy of a given family faces a three-fold problem. He must select and arrange in the house such things as suit the age, sex and temperament of the individual members, meet their needs, express their tastes and aspirations, and fit their purse. He must, moreover, see that the things so selected and arranged suit the house itself, in scale, coloring and style. Finally, he must see to it that these things are not only suitable but intrinsically good-looking, and that they combine to form a harmonious and beautiful whole." ...The Principles of Interior Decoration by Bernard Jakway 1922.
Architects and interior designers of the period recommended simplicity, inside and outside the home. Remember this was a time before we had flowers delivered and magazines dedicated to design. There was an emphasis on functionality, efficiency, economy, and cleanliness. Kitchen, living and dining rooms opened on to each other creating a larger space that achieved unity by the use of similar finishing materials in each room. Built-in furniture, such as bookcases, breakfast nooks, sideboards, china cases and window seats, reduced the amount of free-standing furniture. This enabled rooms in bungalow type houses to be small and cosy without being cluttered.
Bathrooms and kitchens were very utilitarian before the 1920s, but by the mid 1920's bathrooms in particular became fashion statements. The earlier white sterile environments were brightened by the use of colors like blue, green and yellow.
Here are some examples of color schemes for different rooms as decorated by prominent 1920's interior decorators:
Kitchen - For the kitchen cabinet, the wainscoting, and the corner cupboard I chose Nile Green and Navy Blue, using Blue for the trimming and the shelves of the corner cupboard. The table I painted solid Nile Green. In the sunny breakfast nook I painted the benches and the table with the same Navy Blue. Then I was ready for the touches of contrasting color. The wall was finished with Ivory flat wall paint, spotted with Green Tint flat wall paint, harmonizing beautifully with my Green and Blue. So I painted the chairs and stool with Duco Mandarin Red, and repeated this gay note in the checked gingham that made the window curtains and tie-on pads for the chairs...Agnes Foster Wright
Bedroom - For the beds and nightstand I selected Duco Nile Green - lovely against the pink and white sippled wall of Flat Wall Paint and quite perfect with the deep green of the plain carpet and the chintz of the upholstered chair and stool. For the dressing table and bench I used Duco Canary Yellow, with decalcomania transfers in pastel shades. And then, for the mirror and picture frames, Duco Gold. Bedspreads of soft pink with comforters in a soft wine shade...lampshades and accessories in pastel shades - these completed the color harmony...Elsie Sloan Farley
Living Room - For the table I used Duco Sagebrush Green - a rich color - and for the desk and ladder-back chair Duco Mandarin Red. A wooden screen I first painted with Duco Nile Green and then decorated with some pasted-on old French designs and a narrow border of the Sagebrush Green. Duco Ivory to line the desk and paint the desk chair completed a color harmony which I think you will agree is both cheerful and restful...Ruth Collins
Dining Room - In the dining-room we have used No.16 Yellow Tint Flat Wall Paint on the walls, with Gray Interior Gloss for the woodwork. Glazed chintz draperies are used with a creamy background pattern in a floral design in red, green, orange and black. The buffet is fished with French Gray Duco, which is extremely interesting against the yellow walls, while the Delft Blue Duco table and chairs complete the quaint and dignified picture.
Bathroom - For the walls and ceiling in this room we have used Ivory Interior Gloss, with chair rail and baseboard of Duco Jade Green in contrast with the dado of Nile Green Duco. Then for the bathroom stool we have used Chinese Yellow Duco. The picture is completed by the addition of a rug in tones of lavender, which is repeated in the lavender shower curtain.
Bathrooms and kitchens were very utilitarian before the 1920s, but by the mid 1920's bathrooms in particular became fashion statements. The earlier white sterile environments were brightened by the use of colors like blue, green and yellow.
Here are some examples of color schemes for different rooms as decorated by prominent 1920's interior decorators:
Kitchen - For the kitchen cabinet, the wainscoting, and the corner cupboard I chose Nile Green and Navy Blue, using Blue for the trimming and the shelves of the corner cupboard. The table I painted solid Nile Green. In the sunny breakfast nook I painted the benches and the table with the same Navy Blue. Then I was ready for the touches of contrasting color. The wall was finished with Ivory flat wall paint, spotted with Green Tint flat wall paint, harmonizing beautifully with my Green and Blue. So I painted the chairs and stool with Duco Mandarin Red, and repeated this gay note in the checked gingham that made the window curtains and tie-on pads for the chairs...Agnes Foster Wright
Bedroom - For the beds and nightstand I selected Duco Nile Green - lovely against the pink and white sippled wall of Flat Wall Paint and quite perfect with the deep green of the plain carpet and the chintz of the upholstered chair and stool. For the dressing table and bench I used Duco Canary Yellow, with decalcomania transfers in pastel shades. And then, for the mirror and picture frames, Duco Gold. Bedspreads of soft pink with comforters in a soft wine shade...lampshades and accessories in pastel shades - these completed the color harmony...Elsie Sloan Farley
Living Room - For the table I used Duco Sagebrush Green - a rich color - and for the desk and ladder-back chair Duco Mandarin Red. A wooden screen I first painted with Duco Nile Green and then decorated with some pasted-on old French designs and a narrow border of the Sagebrush Green. Duco Ivory to line the desk and paint the desk chair completed a color harmony which I think you will agree is both cheerful and restful...Ruth Collins
Dining Room - In the dining-room we have used No.16 Yellow Tint Flat Wall Paint on the walls, with Gray Interior Gloss for the woodwork. Glazed chintz draperies are used with a creamy background pattern in a floral design in red, green, orange and black. The buffet is fished with French Gray Duco, which is extremely interesting against the yellow walls, while the Delft Blue Duco table and chairs complete the quaint and dignified picture.
Bathroom - For the walls and ceiling in this room we have used Ivory Interior Gloss, with chair rail and baseboard of Duco Jade Green in contrast with the dado of Nile Green Duco. Then for the bathroom stool we have used Chinese Yellow Duco. The picture is completed by the addition of a rug in tones of lavender, which is repeated in the lavender shower curtain.
Slang of the 1920's
Slang of the 1920's
The twenties were the first decade to emphasize youth culture over the older generations, and the flapper sub-culture had a tremendous influence on main stream America; many new words and phrases were coined by these liberated women. Many of these are still used today!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
1920's Automobiles
1920's Automobiles
1920's cars were a vast improvement over automobiles from earlier decades due to the rapid pace of major advancements in 1920's automobile design and engineering. At the start of the 1920's motor cars were still relatively basic, although a huge improvement over earlier automobiles and prior transport modes, especially horse and buggy. By the late nineteen-twenties however, automobiles had rapidly progressed to become stylish, reliable, fast and beautiful machines with high levels of comfort, engineering and safety. Even by modern standards the styling of 1920's cars still looks attractive, particularly the long sweeping curves of the mudguards. However the new automotive technology they introduced has been developed further leaving the beautiful 1920's cars behind to be viewed as vintage technological and historical museum pieces.
Major automotive advances of the twenties included four-wheel brakes, safety glass for windows, and pneumatic air-filled tires - to mention just a few. Eighty years later it is easy to take for granted the major advances that took place in automobile engineering during the 1920's, as these are now everyday features on todays vehicles. However, many modern day car manufacturers are revisiting and implementing design and engineering features that were first invented and used on 1920's cars - hybrid petrol-electric engine systems are just one example!
At the beginning of the 1920's decade most cars were painted in dark colors - more often than not, black - due largely to the Ford influence and lack of suitable colored automobile paints. However, this situation changed in 1925 and 1926 when a whole rainbow of colors became available following the invention of pyroxylin finishes, as you can see in the beautiful illustrations below. The beautiful rich vibrant colors and complementary color schemes were borrowed from the proven livery schemes of horse-drawn carriages and coaches that had been developed by artisans over centuries of use.
This is a celebration of 1920's Automobiles, taken from actual advertisements of the era. The beautiful color illustrations in the Adverts are much more attractive to me than the color photo's which eventually replaced them. Many of the color advertisements show the cars in actual settings of the period, helping to bring the 1920's period back to life for modern readers by displaying cars in their original surroundings. If you weren't there, this is the next best thing!
1928 Chevrolet Sedan Advertisement
1920's Car Buying Advertisement Targeting Women Drivers
In this colorful Ad Chevrolet tries to tempt fashion conscious women drivers with stylish new car designs, fancy color schemes, and lower prices. They obviously recognized that women had a major say in the purchase of an automobile. Hey, nothing has changed!
1927 Cadillac Coupe
Colorful Cadillac Coupe advertisement from 1927
1927 Cadillac Coupe
AMERICA, by way of Cadillac, has proven that the finest does not always and of necessity cost the most. Everyone knows that the Cadillac is the one car regarded by everyone as the finest automobile in America. In the light of that fact, it is almost inevitable that the public should award to Cadillac a volume that amounts to more than half the nation's demand for fine cars. The result, of course, is plain to anyone who contrasts the first cost of the Cadillac with that of any other car which may properly be compared. The economies effected by the huge Cadillac production actually reverse the usual economic order and make this finest of all fine cars at the same time substantially lower in price. Priced from $2995 upward, f.o.b. Detroit.
Car Bonnet Ornaments and Symbols
Sculpted Car Bonnet Ornaments of 1920's Automobiles
Vintage Car Emblems from the Era of Style
Before car bonnet (hood) decorations were banned due to the potential danger they posed to pedestrians in accidents, they were a feature that adorned many automobiles, especially in the 1920's. Many of these beautiful icons were designed and created by famous sculptors under commission from the car manufacturers.
Diana, goddess of the chase, smiles at us from the cap of a speedy motor car of the twenties, the Moon.
Mercury, the messenger of the Gods, Minerva, Atalanta and the mythical Centaur also grace the caps of nineteen-twenties cars.
Dieties - graceful, young, daring swooped down from the impressive front of a Rolls Royce, or gave an assured self-confident stare from the cap of the Safety Stutz.
These beautifully sculpted bonnet emblems of the 1920's are a thing of the past due to modern automotive regulations but you may be fortunate enough to see them in real life in a vintage car rally or in an automobile museum.
"In February 1914, he added a mechanized belt that chugged along at a speed of six feet per minute. As the pace accelerated, Ford produced more and more cars, and on June 4, 1924, the 10-millionth Model T rolled off the Highland Park assembly line. Though the Model T did not last much longer--by the middle of the 1920s, customers wanted a car that was inexpensive and had all the bells and whistles that the Model T scorned--it had ushered in the era of the automobile for everyone."
Before car bonnet (hood) decorations were banned due to the potential danger they posed to pedestrians in accidents, they were a feature that adorned many automobiles, especially in the 1920's. Many of these beautiful icons were designed and created by famous sculptors under commission from the car manufacturers.
Diana, goddess of the chase, smiles at us from the cap of a speedy motor car of the twenties, the Moon.
Mercury, the messenger of the Gods, Minerva, Atalanta and the mythical Centaur also grace the caps of nineteen-twenties cars.
Dieties - graceful, young, daring swooped down from the impressive front of a Rolls Royce, or gave an assured self-confident stare from the cap of the Safety Stutz.
These beautifully sculpted bonnet emblems of the 1920's are a thing of the past due to modern automotive regulations but you may be fortunate enough to see them in real life in a vintage car rally or in an automobile museum.
"In February 1914, he added a mechanized belt that chugged along at a speed of six feet per minute. As the pace accelerated, Ford produced more and more cars, and on June 4, 1924, the 10-millionth Model T rolled off the Highland Park assembly line. Though the Model T did not last much longer--by the middle of the 1920s, customers wanted a car that was inexpensive and had all the bells and whistles that the Model T scorned--it had ushered in the era of the automobile for everyone."
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