Vintage Pix | The 1920s and 1930s

1920s and 1930s
posted 26 July 1998 - updated 1 April 2001
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Want to make a 1920s dress?

If you're researching 1920s costume, I especially recommend Ellie Laubner's Fashions of the Roaring '20s and Dover Books' Everyday Fashions of the Twenties As Pictured in Sears and Other Catalogs, edited by Stella Blum.

	late 1910s - 1920s? I don't know. Her dress waist is down by her hips, following the fashion of the 1920s, but her skirt looks rather long and she appears to have laced-up boots.
	late 1910s - early 1920s? The low waistline on the girl's dress and her light stockings and ankle-strap shoes suggest 1920s, but the woman's dress has a higher waist and puffed blouse more typical of the 1910s.
	early 1920s These women have on basic summer house dresses. They also have the "earphone" hairstyle popular in the early 1920s, also known as "cootie garages."
	early 1920s This class photo includes more "cootie garages" and a variety of outfits, including boys in knickers, suits, and overalls. Take a closer look at the people (100K image).
	1920s These two women in more fashionable summer dresses stand in front of an American flag made of planted flowers (48 stars).
	1920s Women in cloaks standing amid large beds of tulips.
	August 9, 1923 Hurrah! A dated photograph! Great earrings. Signed "To Sister Illa, With Compliments from Gladys." Progress Studio, N.Y.
	Mildred Trede - 1920s Wonderful hat. Portrait from the studio of Napolean Sarony (364 Fifth Avenue, New York City) who was known for his photos of the famous. But I have no idea who Mildred Trede was!
	Bobbed hair - 1920s Studio: Alexander of Salisbury, North Carolina
	Flapper - 1920s The hat, the short hair, the long pearl necklace, the fur coat. Studio: Neal Walden, Evansville, Indiana
	Sailor Dress - 1920s Studio: McLaren, Fredonia, N.Y.
	"Uncle Manuel's Children" - 1920s Note the contrast between the oldest daughter in her patterned dress and shiny shoes and the brother in overalls and barefoot younger siblings.
	Group photo, 1920s The woman who sold this to me at a craft fair in Lexington, Kentucky, said she thought it came from Cynthiana, Kentucky.
	late 1920s - early 1930s Signed "To the dearest, sweetest girl I've ever roomed with. With love, Luna" (Or maybe that's "Tuna").
	1930s? Labelled "Aunt Phoebe & Uncle Willy & family. 11 Belville St. Greenock Scotland" Check out the big hair.
	"Mechanical Valuation Department -Oct. 3, 1933 -Meadville, Pa." Gotta love those engineers! Not only is this photo dated, but the people are identified on the back. This detail shows the outfit worn by "Mid" Johnston, the stenographer. Note also the difference in the tailoring of the suit worn by H.M. Manigault, the Assistant Valuation Engineer who stand behind her, and the other men (listed as "Jr. Engineers") especially "Dynamite" Davies, who stands (or rather slouches) to the left of H.M.