Popular pastimes of the 1920s

The 1920s are best known for the gangsters and revolutionary fashion pictured for us by Hollywood, but there was much more to that decade than ladies dancing on the stage in flamboyant costumes. This post focuses on the popular pastimes of the 20s...

1. Listening to the radio
After the First World War, the inventions of technology rocketed, with objects such as the hair dryer  and the traffic light in 1920 then  the bread slicer and 'Kool Aid' in 1927. The radio and motion pictures allowed access to a media industry and world that no one had ever had access to before! Movies were being shown in movie theatres and this often attracted 50 million viewers very week! Radios become more affordable and were common in households, as was the telephone. This allowed people to listen to music and baseball games in America!

2. Car journeys

Travelling by car was an easy way to get to destinations quickly. In the late 1920's, the invention of the Model T Ford caused the motoring industry to explode and it is reported that by the end of the decade, there were more than 23 million cars in America, often owned by the middle and upper class.

3. Illegal drinking

One of the most unpopular laws passed in America during the 1920s was the ban of alcohol. However this did not stop people from drinking, in fact it probably became more popular... Many Americans went though the trouble of making there own alcohol and went to great lengths to find some! The saloons (or pubs) became secret clubs. Fortunately the ban was lifted in 1933.

4. Dancing

Because the 20s followed the Suffragette's victory allowing women to vote, women began to feel less dependent of the men and many began to change their hobbies and clothing. This was why the change in women's fashion altered so dramatically. Many young people started experiment with new dances. As a result many modern dance crazes have been developed from 1920s' dances such as the Lindy Hop.