1920s | The British Newspaper Archive Blog - Part 3

Blog

Contemporary Reactions to Modernist Writers

Novelist Edwin Muir attempted in 1926 to identify those writers who were ‘influencing the development of literature’ (Nottingham Journal, October 1926) in a series of essays entitled Transition. His choices, which included Virginia Woolf, James Joyce and D.H. Lawrence, amongst others, survived the test of time and as such represent the most celebrated authors of the modernist period. Graphic | 26 October 1929 Using reviews taken from the pages of the British Newspaper Archive, and limiting our search to only those

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , ,

Long Hair is Dead, Long Live the Bob – An Exploration of The Defining Hairstyle of the 1920s

‘Short hair is not a whim of fashion; it is significant for an adaptation to modern existence,’ so proclaimed hairdresser Monsieur Eugène in 1929 (Britannia and Eve, August 1929). In this special blog, using pages from the British Newspaper Archive, we explore one of the most iconic fashions of the 1920s – the bob. We look at its cultural impact, its most famous wearers, and how women achieved and maintained the perfect bobbed style. Want to learn more? Register now

Continue Reading

Tags

, , ,

‘All These Barriers are Broken Down’ – Five Remarkable Women Who Shaped the 1920s

The 1920s were time of greater freedoms and liberation for women. They cropped their hair, their dresses got shorter and shorter; it was socially acceptable for them to drive, drink and smoke. But such freedoms would not have been possible without the pioneering women who not only shaped the decade, but the many years to come. Graphic | 27 July 1929 In this special blog, using the British Newspaper Archive, we take a look at five of these remarkable women and

Continue Reading

Tags

,

Five Quirky Firsts and Inventions from the 1920s

The 1920s were a decade of firsts and innovations, and many of the things we take for granted today have their roots in this eventful decade. From televisions to fridges, from roller coasters to Branston Pickle, from crosswords to death rays, we take a look at just a few of the brilliant and bizarre inventions that stemmed from the 1920s – using advertisements and articles from the British Newspaper Archive. Want to learn more? Register now and explore The Archive

Continue Reading

Tags

, , ,

Take a look inside the ILN offices

The Illustrated London News, the world’s first illustrated newspaper, debuted in 1842.  Over the decades, the publishers expanded into the ‘great 8’ titles: Sketch, Sphere, Tatler, Graphic, Bystander, Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, and Britannia and Eve.  In 1928, the Illustrated London News published an illustration of the interior of their own offices at Inveresk House, ‘a hive of journalistic industry’. Discover more about the history of the Illustrated London News In the image, you can see the offices of the individual

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

The Death of Annie Oakley (aka ‘Little Sure Shot’) – 3 November 1926

Annie Oakley (aka Phoebe Ann Moses), the sharpshooter who found fame in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, died in North Star, Ohio, on 3 November 1926 – she was 66.  Oakley was a champion rifle, wing, and trick shot.  She received international fame.  On one occasion, when Annie was in London, ‘five monarchs were present, and one of them, a man who was afterwards to rule as Wilhelm II of Germany, expressed a desire to have the ash removed from

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , ,