I am glad that I had the opportunity to choose different events and people to research. The blog post and historiography assignments allowed me to learn about diverse topics of the 1920s. When looking for topics for my blog posts, I read through an abundance of events and people that led to the bettering of my understanding of the 1920s. Through readings and lectures in class, I was able to find reliable sources of information to ensure I had accurate information about this decade. 

 My blog post about the internment of the American Unknown Soldier taught me about public feelings post-World War I. Although this post was mostly focused on America, I was able to learn about different countries and their unknown soldiers. My research about Laurel and Hardy provided insight into the humor, film technology, and celebrity culture of the decade. The historical document of the Laurel and Hardy short was fun to do because I got to watch one of their films. My blog post about Amelia Earhart’s 1928 flight educated me about celebrity culture, women and airplane culture/technology.

The historiography timeline post taught me about the Irish War of Independence, which is something I possibly would not have learned about in a history class or on my own. Learning about an event that happened outside of the United States of America aided in expanding my knowledge. These assignments also helped me learn through the primary sources we had to use. Photographs, videos, and newspaper articles all aided in my understanding and view of the decade. 

I still think that the “Roaring Twenties” is a good phrase to describe the 1920s. I feel that it describes the different events that occurred during the decade and the different people who lived through it. To people who want to learn about this decade, I would suggest keeping in mind this phrase to show how chaotic things were during this decade and how much was happening at once. I would also tell someone to look at primary sources from a reliable source. These primary sources show the diversity of the people, technology, feelings, and happenings. I would also emphasize using reliable sources that describe anything and everything related to the 1920s. 

Overall, this course was very helpful in gaining a better understanding of the 1920s. I learned a lot about the people, events, culture, and technology. I also learned about the happenings of the 1920s in different countries.

mkukan

Michelle Kukan is a spring 2023 student of Discovering Digital History at Ramapo College. She is a sophomore studying history, American studies and museum & exhibition studies. She is a volunteer for Mahwah Museum’s Veterans Project and works on the Jane Addams Paper Project.

Laurel and Hardy were a comedy duo composed of Stanley Laurel (1890-1965) and Oliver Hardy (1892-1957). Laurel and Hardy were featured in their first silent short The Lucky Dog (1921). Their first silent short as a comedy duo was The Second Hundred Years (1927). Their career followed the new technological advances of sound in film. In addition to silent shorts in the 1920s, they also released silent films with music and effects. Their first talkie, Unaccustomed As We Are, was released in 1929. Unaccustomed As We Are stars Laurel and Hardy. The talkie was written by Thomas “Leo” McCarey and Harley “H.M.” Walker. The directors were Lewis Foster and Harold “Hal” Roach Sr. The following transcription is from a scene that take place between the 5:39 and 12:31 minute marks.

Video

Text

(In Hardy’s apartment. Hardy brought Laurel over to his apartment for dinner without telling Mrs. Hardy. Mrs. Hardy refused to make dinner and left) 

Laurel: Well, l guess we don’t eat.

Hardy: Oh, yes, we do eat. l’ll cook you a meal like you’ve never eaten. 

(to himself, cleaning off a table in the center of the room) Nobody else needs to cook my meals for me. One thing about me, l am absolutely independent. l’ve cooked loads of meals.

(Laurel sits reclined in a chair; Hardy trips over Laurel’s outstretched legs)

(to Laurel) Why don’t you do something to help me?

Laurel: What can l do?

Hardy: Set the table. That’s simple. You don’t have to use any brains for that.

(Laurel places plates previously on table on the floor. Hardy trips over the plates. Laurel continues to fumble with table. Hardy swats at Laurel’s hands) 

Get your hands off of that. Go in the kitchen and light the oven. (Laurel trips over Hardy’s foot)

And pick your feet up. And take your hat off. Now go in and light the oven. Thank you.

(Laurel looks at oven and around kitchen with a confused expression on his face. He checks the pockets of his pants. Laurel walks out of the kitchen to Hardy.) 

Laurel: Got a match?

Hardy: Yes. l’ll light it. You fix the table. (Hardy enters kitchen)

(Laurel begins to places cutlery on table)

(Off screen explosion. Fire blazes out of the kitchen for a brief second while Hardy is thrown from the kitchen.)

Why don’t you be careful? You might have blown the whole house up.

You know, there’s a right and wrong way to do everything.

(Off screen explosion. Fire blazes out of the kitchen for a brief second while Hardy is thrown from the kitchen.)

(unintelligible) light that again.

Laurel: Now wait a minute now. l didn’t mean anything-

Hardy: l’m sorry l brought you here! You’ve done nothing-

(knock at the door)

Mrs. Kennedy¹: What in the world is happening, Mr Hardy?

Hardy: Well, l was cooking dinner for my friend and l, and we had a slight accident.

Mrs. Kennedy: Oh, you poor dear boy. Maybe there’s something l could do to help you.

Hardy: That’s awfully sweet of you, Mrs Kennedy.

Mrs. Kennedy: Why, lt would be a pleasure, Mr Hardy.

Hardy: You’re sure l’m not imposing, Mrs Kennedy?

Mrs. Kennedy: Oh, not at all, Mr Hardy.

Hardy: Thank you, Mrs Kennedy.

(Mrs. Kennedy enters kitchen)

Laurel: Was that Mrs Kennedy?

Hardy: Oh, shut up!

(off screen explosion, Mrs. Kennedy screams)

Hardy: Quick What’s the matter?

Mrs. Kennedy, exiting the kitchen: I’m on fire, put me out. I’m on fire, put me out. Oh please put me out. Mr. Hardy, please. Please put me out, Mr Hardy! Put me out!

(Laurel uses his hat and Hardy uses his jacket to put the fire out. Laurel hits Hardy multiple times instead of the fire.) 

Oh please, something to cover me up. (Laurel covers Mrs. Kennedy with the table cloth).

Hardy: Goodness gracious, are you hurt?

Mrs. Kennedy: No, Mr Hardy. lt frightened me to death.

Hardy: l’m awfully sorry that happened, Mrs Kennedy.

Mrs. Kennedy: Oh that’s all right Mr Hardy, accidents will happen.

Hardy: You’re right, Mrs Kennedy.

Mrs. Kennedy: It won’t take me but a minute to put on another dress, Mr. Hardy.

Hardy: You sure l can’t help you Mrs. Kennedy?

Mrs. Kennedy: Oh no, thank you, Mr Hardy.

(Mrs. Kennedy goes to leave. She sees her husband entering the Kennedy apartment. She reenters the Hardy apartment and closes the door). 

My husband.².lf he sees me, he’ll, I think, he’ll kill all of us. What’ll l do?

Hardy: Do? Why, we’ll tell him the truth.

Laurel: The whole truth.

Hardy: And nothing but the truth.

Laurel: Absolutely.

Hardy: Pardon. 

(Hardy exits the apartment to approach Mr. Kennedy. He sees his wife in hallway and returns to his apartment)

My wife. What’ll we do?

Laurel: Tell her the truth.

Hardy: Oh shut up. We’ve got to get out of here. (all enter the Hardy’s bedroom) Right in here. (to himself) l don’t know where to go. (to Laurel) Close that door.

(to Mrs. Kennedy) ln the trunk.

(Laurel gets in trunk) 

Mrs. Hardy³ (off-screen): Yo-hoo

Hardy: (to Laurel) No, not you! Get up!

(to Mrs. Kennedy) Now keep your head down.

Mrs. Hardy: Oh, pussums.

Hardy: What do you mean, pussum?

Mrs. Hardy: Don’t be cross. l’m sorry for what happened and l’ll fix Stan dinner. Look, l brought him some nuts.

Hardy: No, Barbara. We are through.

Mrs. Hardy: Oh but what do you mean?

Hardy: You’ve broken the camel’s back once too often. My trunk is packed and l’m leaving for South America tonight to do big things.

Mrs. Hardy: Oh! But, Oliver…

Hardy: And l’m burning my bridges behind me.

Laurel: Burning your what?

Hardy: Burning my bridges.

Laurel: Oh, l thought you said britches.

Mrs. Hardy: Oh oh but, Oliver, why are you leaving me?

Hardy: Because my friend advised me to go.

Hardy: Come, Stan.

Mrs. Hardy: Oh.

(Laurel and Hardy carry trunk with Mrs. Kennedy out of bedroom)

Mrs. Hardy: Just a minute (grabs Laurel’s shoulder).

You wolf in sheep’s clothing (Mrs. Hardy hits Laurel on his shoulder). lt’s men about town like you that cause all the trouble between man and wife. What do you mean by taking this poor little innocent to South America and advising him to burn his bridges when he never even started a fire in his life?

(Laurel does not respond)

l’m talking to you. Come on. Answer me.

(getting more agitated) What do you mean? Well come on. What do you mean? 

Can’t you answer? 

(Laurel uses his arms to cover his head)

Oh! You’d thrash me, would ya? Oh you would?

Hardy: That boy wasn’t gonna hit you.

Mrs. Hardy: You’d thrash me!

Hardy (yelling over Mrs. Hardy): He wasn’t gonna hit you.

(Hardy and Mrs. Hardy start indistinctly yelling over each other. Camera cuts to outside of apartment where yelling can still be heard). 

Source

Unaccustomed as We Are. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1929.

Bibliography

IMDb. “Unaccustomed as We Are (Short 1929).” www.imdb.com. Accessed April 25, 2023. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020531/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_2_nm_1_q_unaccustome.

Unaccustomed as We Are. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1929. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BHU6MPJ-_o.

mkukan

Michelle Kukan is a spring 2023 student of Discovering Digital History at Ramapo College. She is a sophomore studying history, American studies and museum & exhibition studies. She is a volunteer for Mahwah Museum’s Veterans Project and works on the Jane Addams Paper Project.

Amelia Earhart 

Amelia Mary Earhart was born on July 24, 1897 in Kansas. She was the first child of Samuel “Edwin” and Amelia “Amy” Earhart. She had one younger sister, Grace Muriel “Muriel.” Earhart’s mother did not believe in raising her children in a traditional manner. This belief manifested through homeschooling taught by Amy Earhart. Additionally, she allowed her daughters to play outside in a non-traditional manner. Amelia and Grace climbed trees and hunted rats with rifles, which displeased their maternal grandmother.

The Earhart’s experienced financial insecurity. Edwin occasionally worked as a claims officer for railroads. However, he was in and out of jobs due to alcoholism. Around 1915, Earhart’s maternal grandmother died and left the Earhart’s a substantial inheritance. This inheritance helped the Earhart’s improve their financial status.

Edwin encouraged both Amelia and Grace to get involved with airplanes. In 1920, Earhart’s father bought her a ticket to ride with pilot Frank Hawks. Frank Hawks, like other World War I pilots, used their skills to make money after the war. Pilots (not just military pilots) would buy old decommissioned World War I planes and travel throughout the United States offering plane rides. Other forms of entertainment included “barnstorming.” Barnstorming, which gained popularity in the 1920s, involved daredevil pilots performing stunts and tricks. Barnstormers would also travel to different areas. Charles Lindbergh before his first solo transatlantic flight in 1927, was barnstormer. Some pilots worked delivering air mail.

Flight Training 

Earhart’s flight with Hawks inspired her to look into flight lessons. In January of 1921, her father took her to Kinner Field. Kinner Field, owned by Winfield “Bert” Kinner, became the first municipality-owned airport in South Gate, Los Angeles, California. Kinner Field was a two-hundred thirty acre field with a small hangar and a runway. Earhart struck a deal with Neta Snook. Snook, who was the field manager, was the only woman employed at Kinner Field. Earhart would pay Snook’s one dollar a minute rate with Liberty Bonds. They scheduled their first lesson together the day after they met. 

For Earhart’s first lesson, she flew a dual controlled Canuck. A dual control airplane has two controls. One control is designated to the student while the other is for the teacher. This Canuck had a top speed of sixty miles per hour and a landing speed of forty miles per hour. Snook taught Earhart how to taxi. Taxiing a plane involves moving an aircraft on the ground. By February 1921, Earhart recorded four hours in the air.

On July 24, 1922, Earhart bought her first airplane with the help of her mother. The airplane, designed and owned by Bert Kinner, was a model of the Kinner Airster. The Kinner Airster was a two seater biplane with a single engine. Earhart painted the plane yellow and named it The Canary. The design flaws of the Kinner Airster caused several accidents. He first crash occurred when one of the plane’s faulty engines failed to help the plane gain altitude and caused Earhart to crash into a group of trees near the runway.

Although there are no official records, Earhart completed her first solo flight before December 15, 1921. On December 15, 1921, she received her National Aeronautic Association license. To receive this license, she had to fly solo. Shortly after receiving her license, she flew a Kinner Airster in an air show at the Sierra Airdrome in Pasadena, California.

Earhart began receiving aerobatic training from John “Monte” Montijo. Montijo helped Earhart with advanced aeronavigation and aerobatics. With these lessons, she set her first flying record on October 22, 1922. At an air meet at Rogers Field (California), Earhart reached a height of fourteen thousand feet in a plane with an open cockpit and with no air supply. Her record was acknowledged by the Aeronautical Club of Southern California. On May 15, 1923, Earhart became the sixteenth woman in the world to receive a license from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale.

From the period of 1923 through 1927, Earhart went through financial troubles. She had relocated from California to Boston, Massachusetts. She had joined the local chapter of the National Aeronautic Association. During this time, she went through numerous menial jobs while periodically flying as a hobby on weekends. On October 15, 1927, Earhart picked up flying lessons administered by Dennison Aviation Corporation. These lessons cost her twenty dollars an hour.  

Flight over the Atlantic Ocean

Earhart received a call from Hilton Railey in 1927. Railey had asked Earhart if she wanted to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Railey was searching for a substitute for a transatlantic flight. The previous pilot, Amy Phipps Guest, could not make the flight and suggested a woman pilot. Earhart and Railey came to several agreements: Earhart would not be paid (her “reward” was to be exposed and post-flight opportunities) and she would be able to check equipment. Earhart was named captain. The crew for the flight consisted of Earhart, Wilmer Stultz (pilot), Louis Gordon (mechanic), E.P. Elmer (technology advisor), William Rogers (flight charts), and Dr. James Kimball (weather advisor). The crew was to fly in a Fokker plane named Friendship. A famous Fokker is the iconic red fighter plane flown by Manfred von Richtofen, the Red Baron, during World War I.

Friendship was a modified Fokker seaplane. The fuel tanks, which were located in the wings and cabin, held nine hundred gallons of fuel. The wingspan of the Fokker was seventy two feet. A red/orange painted body contrasted with golden wings, the goal of these colors was to aid rescuers if the plane crashed. Friendship was outfitted with pontoons, which aided in water landings but made take off difficult.  

The crew took off from Boston Harbor on July 3 at 6:30 AM in front of multiple reporters. Friendship’s average speed is estimated to have been one hundred fourteen miles per hour. They flew by Nova Scotia, Canada by 8:55 AM in the morning. They landed at Halifax Naval Air Station, on the east coast of Canada. Stultz and Gordon took weather reports from the naval station and they were in the air shortly after. Friendship resumed its flight north towards Trepassey, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Approximately halfway through their journey, the crew encountered fog and were forced to return to Halifax Naval Air Station. The following morning, the crew took off again for Trepassey. They arrived at Trepassey at 2:00 PM. While at first this flight was kept a secret, the flight had since made international news. 

The crew going to make the transatlantic flight consisted of Earhart, Stultz and Gordon. There were several failed attempts to takeoff. There were three attempts on June 6 and eight on June 12. The weight of cargo and fuel as well as rough seas were the cause of Friendship’s failed takeoffs. 

On June 17, 1928 at 11:40 AM, the crew of Friendship took off for from Trepassey to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The plane encountered fog approximately three hundred miles into the journey. At around six in the evening, Earhart made the last radio contact before the radio died. Stultz took up the navigation. On June 18, the crew was still in the air using the emergency fuel tank. Stultz landed the plane in the water off the coast of Burry Port, Wales at 1:00 PM. Friendship was one hundred forty miles from their original landing point, Southampton, England. A crowd had gathered to watch the crew disembark and to see Earhart, who had become the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. 

Earhart and crew traveled to London, England. In London, Earhart had become a celebrity and was offered business deals as well as requests for autographs. On June 28, 1928, Earhart, Stultz, and Gordon boarded the S.S. Roosevelt to return to America. 

Earhart continued her aviation career. In 1932, she became the first woman to complete a nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. For this flight, she received the United States Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1937, she attempted to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. However, Earhart, along with her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared during this attempt. They were last seen in New Guinea on July 2, 1937. After a year and a half, both Earhart and Noonan were declared dead. 

Public Figure

Amelia Earhart became a celebrity, especially as she continued to break records and fly. Newspapers dubbed her “Lady Lindy” and other nicknames that referred to how similar she looked to Charles Lindbergh. Earhart was not fond of this nickname. In 1928 she explained, “I’m not Lindy Lady, Lady Lindy, the girl Lindy, I’m just Amelia Earhart.”¹

Amelia Earhart advocated for women in aviation. On November 2, 1929, Earhart and ninety-eight other women pilots founded the Ninety Nines. These women were ninety-nine of two hundred eighty five licensed women pilots. Earhart served as the first president of this organization beginning in 1931. The goal of this organization was to support women in aviation and to create connections. In multiple newspaper interviews, Earhart advocated for women pilots and for women to become aviators.

Significance  

Amelia Earhart is a representative of the “new woman” of the 1920s. Earhart had short hair, entered a male-dominated industry, wore clothes unconventional for a woman and worked to break aviation records. Her style and attitude was similar to those of a flapper. She also worked for her own money to pay for costs associated with aviation.

Railey’s plan of orchestrating the flying of the first women across the Atlantic Ocean was sparked by “Atlantic Fever.” This phenomenon, as well as Earhart’s agreement to complete the flight, is representative of the public’s fascination with airplanes. In the post-World War I era, pilots had become celebrities and made a living at airshows. 

Bibliography

“Code Messages Bring Lovers Together Again,” The Paterson Evening News, July 11, 1928, p. 22. 

“Girl Lindbergh Crosses Atlantic in 20 Hours After Unexpected Take-off From Trepassey Bay; Lands Voluntarily in Bristol Channel Inlet,” The Courier-News, June 18, 1928, p. 1. 

Jones, Russell Douglass. “Heroes of the Sky: Adventures in Early Flight.” Technology and Culture 45, no. 2 (2004): 368–72. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40060748.

“Miss Earhart First Women To Fly To England,” The Grand Island Daily Independent, June 18, 1928, p. 1.

PBS. “Amelia Earhart.” Pbs.org, 2019. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/earhart-timeline/.

Rich, Doris L. Amelia Earhart: A Biography. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2010.

Winters, Kathleen C. Amelia Earhart: The Turbulent Life of an American Icon. St. Martin’s Press, 2010.

mkukan

Michelle Kukan is a spring 2023 student of Discovering Digital History at Ramapo College. She is a sophomore studying history, American studies and museum & exhibition studies. She is a volunteer for Mahwah Museum’s Veterans Project and works on the Jane Addams Paper Project.

The Library of Congress has a multitude of primary sources relating to the 1920s. There are 240,324 primary sources related to the 1920s. These sources are split into categories that describe what the source is. There are tens of thousands of photos, prints, drawings; newspapers, books/printed materials, periodicals, notated music, and manuscripts in each of the listed categories. There are thousands of web pages, legislation, maps, and films/videos in each of these categories. The Library of Congress has hundreds of audio recordings, events, and three dimensional objects in each category. Additionally, there are ninety-eight personal narratives, ninety-seven web archives, and four Library of Congress exhibitions. 

Creators

There are no specific creators. The items overall belong to the Library of Congress. However, the items belong to different organizations or collections which are indicated in categories titled “part of” and “contributor.” For 1920s primary sources, a majority of the items are part of the Library of Congress Online, Prints and Photographs Division, and Chronicling America. Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.), United States Congress, and National Archives and Records Administration are the biggest contributors to 1920s sources. Overall, the primary sources are from over ten thousand different collections, archives, historical societies, etc. 

Search Methods 

There is a search bar at the top right of the screen that a user can easily access. Additionally, one can narrow their search by categories. These categories are: original format (ex: newspaper, photography, map), online format (ex: image, PDF, video), date, location, collection, contributor, subject, and language. Each category has multiple options to refine a search. The dates have two components that can be used to refine a search. The years are split into ninety-nine year eras. These eras are then split into decades. The locations listed include country, state, city, county or even a specific building. The subjects vary because the sources vary. The top subjects of 1920s sources (out of four hundred sixty two total subjects) are: United States, Newspapers, and World War. There are one hundred forty eight languages that help a user refine their search.  

Trustworthiness

I think this site is trustworthy. The primary sources they display on their site has the necessary information for a citation and has a completed citation for each item. I do think it is important to note that the items on display belong to the Library of Congress and that other types of primary sources exist. No advertisements on any of the pages on this site also add to the Library of Congress’s credibility. 

Usefulness

This website contains numerous different types of primary sources. These primary sources can help a viewer understand different parts of life of the 1920s. For example, there are photographs of life in rural Massachusetts and life in France. There are also photographs of people living in different places, of different social classes, and ages. The primary sources are easily downloadable. These sources are also readily available for use in a paper or project because of the listing of citation information. The different categories that help to refine a search make looking for primary sources easy for any user.

Resource

Library of Congress, 1920s primary sources.

mkukan

Michelle Kukan is a spring 2023 student of Discovering Digital History at Ramapo College. She is a sophomore studying history, American studies and museum & exhibition studies. She is a volunteer for Mahwah Museum’s Veterans Project and works on the Jane Addams Paper Project.

In the 1920s, the silent film had been the predominant motion picture. However, talkies gained popularity after the premiere of The Jazz Singer on October 6, 1927. Laurel and Hardy were a comedy team that found success in both the silent shorts and talkies. Their career in the 1920s traces the evolution of motion pictures as they began the decade with silent films and ended it with a feature-length talkie. 

Norvell Hardy

Norvell Hardy was born on January 18, 1892 in Georgia. Hardy adopted “Oliver” as his first name in honor of his father who died shortly after Hardy was born. Hardy, credited as O.N. Hardy, made his film debut in Outwitting Dad (1914). He was credited as “Babe Hardy” in a multitude of his subsequent films. He worked with several studios throughout his career including: Lubin Studios, Pathé Films, Edison Studios, and King Bee Studios. Hardy signed with Hal Roach Studios in 1924. Hardy was married to Madelyn Saloshin (1913-1921), Myrtle Reeves (1921-1937), and Virginia Lucille Jones (1940-1957). He died in Los Angeles on August 7, 1957 at sixty-five years old. 

Arthur Stanley Jefferson

Arthur Stanley Jefferson was born on June 16, 1890 in England. He began his performing career as a touring comedian. He toured with Ted Desmond as the Barto Brothers. He also toured with Charlie Chaplin in a troupe created by Fred Karno. He took on the stage name Stanley Jefferson while touring with Karno’s troupe. Laurel visited America for the first time in 1910 with the Karno troupe. The last name “Laurel” was adopted shortly before the creation of The Lucky Dog (1921). In addition to his comedy work, Laurel worked as a writer and director in Hollywood. Laurel signed with Hal Roach Studios in 1925. Laurel’s common-law wife was Mae Dahlberg (1917-1925). He was married to Lois Neilson (1926-1935), Virginia Ruth Rogers (1935-1937, 1941-1946), Vera Ivanova Shuvalova (1938-1940) and Ida Kitaeva Raphael (1946-1965). Laurel had two children with Lois Neilson. After Hardy’s death in 1957, Laurel retired from acting and performing. He died on February 23, 1965 in Santa Monica, California at seventy-four years old.

Co-Stars

Stanley Laurel and Oliver Hardy appeared in several films as co-stars before they became a comedy team. Their first film, released in 1921, was titled The Lucky Dog. This was a short, silent film. The two did not work together until the 1926 silent film 45 Minutes from Hollywood. In 1926, both Laurel and Hardy were a part of the Roach Comedy All Stars.

Hal Roach Studios decided to capitalize on their previous success by continuing to pair Laurel and Hardy together. Laurel and Hardy, like many other comedians of the 1920s, took advantage of the slapstick style of comedy. Slapstick comedy entails wacky scenarios and physically violent interactions. One notable film they made before they became a team is Why Girls Love Sailors (1927). This film was the debut of Hardy’s “tie-twiddle.” Hardy explains the use of his tie as a comedic device, “I waved the tie in a kind of tiddly-widdly fashion, in a kind of comic way, to show I was embarrassed. I improved that little bit of business later on, and I used it for any number of situations…And that’s how the tie-twiddle was born.”¹. Other pre-team movies that were released in 1927 are: Duck Soup, Slipping Wives, Love ‘Em and Weep, With Love and Kisses, Sugar Daddies, Sailors, Beware!, Now I’ll Tell One, and Do Detectives Think?.  Do Detectives Think?, was the first film in which Laurel and Hardy wore their typical costumes of bowler hats and suits. 

Laurel and Hardy 

Laurel and Hardy co-starred in ten silent films. In 1927, Hal Roach, founder of Hal Roach Studios, announced the release of Laurel and Hardy comedies. Thus this began the era of Laurel and Hardy comedies. Putting the Pants on Philip (1927) was the first Laurel and Hardy movie to be filmed but was released on December 3, 1927. The first Laurel and Hardy movie to be released was The Second Hundred Years (1927), which premiered on October 8, 1927. Working with Hal Roach Studios, Laurel and Hardy were featured in six total movies in 1927 as a comedy team. 

In 1928, Laurel and Hardy were featured in ten silent films. Laurel and Hardy were described by The Charlotte News as “very funny comedians” who “had ‘em holding their sides on Broadway”² in their silent film Two Tars (1928). Habeas Corpus and We Faw Down, both released in December 1928 were the first Laurel and Hardy films to feature music and effects that had not been seen in silent films. For many, such as those in Selma, Alabama, these films were “…the first sound comedy ever seen and heard…”³. 

 Laurel and Hardy performed in several different media in 1929: silent films, shorts with sounds and talkies. They released only two silent films: Big Business and Double Whoopee. Two Laurel and Hardy trademarks, seen in later films, were introduced in Double Whoopee. The first one was Hardy taking the lead in situations over Laurel. The second was Hardy’s excellent use of any form of writing utensil. Liberty, Wrong Again, That’s My Wife, Bacon Grabbers, and Angora Love were silent films with music and sound effects. 

Laurel and Hardy’s first talkie, Unaccustomed As We Are was released on May 4, 1929. Their other 1929 talkies included: Berth Marks, Men O’War, Perfect Day, They Go Boom, and The Hoose-Gow. The addition of dialogue allowed for another comedic device to be used by Laurel and Hardy. 

The stock market crashed in October 1929. Despite this crash affecting filmmakers, the crash did not have a profound impact on Hal Roach Studios. However, Laurel lost approximately $30,000 after his bank closed. After the crash, Laurel and Hardy were featured in one short talkie (The Hoose-Gow), their first feature length talkie (The Hollywood Revue of 1945), and the short film Angora Love after the stock market crash. The pair also appeared in several advertisements for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 

Post-1920s Career

Laurel and Hardy continued to perform together until 1955. They appeared in fifty-two shorts and feature-length films in the 1930s. In the 1940s, they appeared in ten feature films and one short for a total of eleven films. Atoll K was their only film released in the 1950s. In total, they appeared in 107 films together, including silent shorts and feature-length talkies. Laurel and Hardy performed on radio in the late 1940s until the 1950s, and performed skits on stage. 

Both Laurel and Hardy are remembered in a positive light and as pioneers in comedy. They are almost always remembered together, as a comedic duo. Their films continue to play on television in present day.

Significance

Laurel and Hardy films are representative of 1920s film technology. The evolution from silent shorts to talkies demonstrates the improvement of technology in the 1920s. In between the silent films and the introduction of talkies, silent films featured sound effects and music. Sound effects allowed for performers such as Laurel and Hardy to incorporate off screen sounds. There are two iconic uses of off-screen sounds by Laurel and Hardy. The first occurred in Men O’War (1929), where a crash sound is heard off-screen. This movie is credited for the creation of that movie device. Another use of the newly incorporated sound effects occurred in The Perfect Day (1929) when the noise of an anvil was used as a sound effect when Hardy hit Laurel over the head. 

The shorts of Laurel and Hardy allow a glimpse into life of the 1920s. The clothing of background characters reflects what was popular during the decade. Their bits, jokes and dialogue also allow for a glimpse into the predominant sense of humor of the time period. 

Bibliography

“Comedian Oliver Hardy Dies, Had Suffered Stroke Last Year,” The Daily Home News, August 7, 1957, p. 17. 

“First Sound Comedy To Show This Week,” The Selma Times-Journal, March 10, 1929, p. 14. 

Hal Roach Studios. “The Lucky Dog,” December 1, 1921. https://youtu.be/8CKO5uu-GJ0.

“It Is To Laugh,” The Charlotte News, October 14, 1928, p. 34. 

“Sad-Faced Stan Laurel, Great Comedian, Is Dead,” Atlantic City Press, February 24, 1965, p. 10. 

———. “Unaccustomed as We Are,” May 4, 1929. https://youtu.be/2BHU6MPJ-_o.

McCabe, John. Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy. Grosset & Dunlap, 1966.

Redfern, Nick. “Shot Length Distributions in the Short Films of Laurel and Hardy, 1927 to 1933.” Cine Forum 14 (2012). https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=9741a1aecfb219f30fb09128dc163aea0ebcf6dc.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Laurel and Hardy.” www.britannica.com, July 20, 1998. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Laurel-and-Hardy#ref632902.

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Slapstick.” www.britannica.com, July 9, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/art/slapstick-comedy.

mkukan

Michelle Kukan is a spring 2023 student of Discovering Digital History at Ramapo College. She is a sophomore studying history, American studies and museum & exhibition studies. She is a volunteer for Mahwah Museum’s Veterans Project and works on the Jane Addams Paper Project.

Overview 

Marie Coleman is a lecturer in history and a professor of twentieth century Irish history at Queen’s University Belfast. She has written multiple books and journal articles related to the Irish Revolution which is her research interest. Coleman splits County Longford and the Irish Revolution, 1910-1923 (2006) into two parts: politics and war. In addition to her examination of politics and war during the Irish Revolution, she includes related abbreviations, an introduction and primary sources. 

Summary 

Coleman’s monograph explores two ideas. The first thesis explains the significance of Irish Republican Army activity in Longford. The second contest she puts forth is an exploration of the actions of the Irish Republican Army by analyzing its members and the members of its women’s auxiliary. 

Coleman focuses on the Irish Revolution on a regional level during the period of 1910-1923. She focuses on County Longford, Ireland. During the early twenties until 1923, County Longford experienced heavy activity related to the revolution. Coleman recounts these events in a timeline. 

In part one, Coleman evaluates the political activities in County Longford. Her chapters cover: the decline of the home rule movement, the South Langford by-election of 1917, Sinn Féin and the Irish Volunteers, and the Republican administration. She asserts that County Longford is among the most important areas of the Irish Revolution. By 1920, Sinn Féinn, the republican and democratic socialist party, nullified British administration in Ireland by taking control of the local government and justice system. The Sinn Féinn overtaking had been made possible by the Irish Republican Army’s guerilla campaign in 1919-1921. 

In part two of her book, Coleman analyzes the violence in County Longford. She covers the War of Independence (1919-1921), the men who comprised the IRA, and the women and their role in the Cumann na mBan.

 This violence is associated with the IRA and its women’s auxiliary, Cumann na mBan. In the period of 1917-1923, County Longford consistently experienced the most violence in the Leinster province. In 1920-191, County Longford was second in violence level in Cork County. 

Coleman creates a timeline of crucial events in Longford, many of which occurred in the early years of the 1920s. These events include political and military (IRA and guerrilla) campaigns, the violence of Longford compared with other areas of Ireland

Historiography 

Coleman contests that Longford is an important theater of the revolution. Another regional analysis of an Irish county was published in David Fitzpatrick’s Politics and Irish Life (1977). Additionally, in other monographs, there was a focus other regions, such as the Munster region, and not a focus on County Longford. 

Coleman, similar to other contemporary authors, writes about women. Lynn Dumenil, author of “The New Woman and the Politics of the 1920s” ( 2007) and Kathleen Blee’s Women of the Klan: Racism and Gender in the 1920s (2008) both look at women in history. This shows an increase in the discussion related to women’s contributions in history.

Coleman offers a clear historical account of the Irish Revolution to readers who have little understanding of the war. Ireland was one of the many countries who experienced political and civil unrest after World War I. Coleman offers a look into the after effects of World War I and a specific case of political and civil unrest. 

Bibliography

Coleman, Marie. County Longford and the Irish Revolution, 1910-1923. Irish Academic Press, 2006.

Google Books. “County Longford and the Irish Revolution, 1910-1923.” Accessed March 14, 2023. https://books.google.com/books/about/County_Longford_and_the_Irish_Revolution.html?id=sYIiAQAAIAAJ.

Queen’s University Belfast. “Marie Coleman.” Queen’s University Belfast. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/marie-coleman.

mkukan

Michelle Kukan is a spring 2023 student of Discovering Digital History at Ramapo College. She is a sophomore studying history, American studies and museum & exhibition studies. She is a volunteer for Mahwah Museum’s Veterans Project and works on the Jane Addams Paper Project.

World War I began in 1914 shortly after Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. The war was fought between the Allied Powers and the Central Powers. Belgium, England, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and the United States of America made up the Allied Powers. The Central Powers were Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, and Turkey. The Great War ended with an armistice on November 11, 1918. At the war’s end, approximately 8.5 million soldiers were killed. Of those 8.5 million, America lost around 116,000 soldiers. Many bodies of soldiers were rendered unidentifiable from artillery blasts and other bodies had no identifiable information. 

Beginnings of the Unknown Soldiers

On November 11, 1920, England buried an unknown soldier in London and France buried their unknown in Paris. Hamilton Fish Jr., also known as Fish III, was a former Army major. As a Representative (R-NY), he created and introduced House Joint Resolution 426. This resolution suggested returning an unidentified American soldier and burying him in the United States. The resolution was brought before the 66th Congress’s Committee on Military Affairs on February 1, 1921. The resolution received endorsements from war veterans Major General John Lejeune (United States Marine Corps), General John Pershing (United States Army), and from organizations such as the American Auxiliary. On March 4, the resolution was signed by President Woodrow Wilson. 

American Unknown Is Chosen

On October 22, 1921, four bodies were chosen to represent the four major battles that America fought in: the Battle of Belleau Wood, the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, and the Battle of Argonne. On October 24, American World War I veteran Sergeant Edward F. Younger placed a bouquet of roses on the chosen casket. The remaining coffins were reburied and the chosen casket was transported to the awaiting USS Olympia (C-6) on the French coast. Before the Olympia left France, American Major General Henry Allen proclaimed to the Unknown, “Whoever you be, your gallant deeds are indelibly inscribed in the pages of history to the glory of your nation, and as long as free States endure will your exploits be sung.”¹   

The USS Olympia (C-6) arrived at the Washington Navy Yard on November 9, 1921. The Unknown was carried via horse drawn carriage to the U.S. Capitol Building. The body lay in state for mourners to visit. An estimated ninety thousand mourners from the general public visited the body. 

The Unknown is Buried

On November 11, 1921, the Unknown was carried in a five mile funeral procession from the Capitol Building to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. He had eight body bearers that represented different military branches. The pallbearers included five Army soldiers, two Navy sailors , and one Marine Corps soldier. For these men, this procession allowed them to carry and bury a comrade. On battlefields, if buried, a soldier would be buried where he was killed. In the procession, there were mourners that included veterans, Red Cross nurses, and Gold Star Mothers (mothers whose sons were killed in action). 

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was to be in the newly constructed Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery. As part of the funeral service Bishop Charles Brent, who had served as a chaplain during the war, spoke, “Help us fittingly to honor our unknown soldiers who gave their all in laying sure the foundations of international commonwealth. Help us to keep clear the obligation we have toward all worthy soldiers, living and dead, that their sacrifices and their valor fade not from our memory.”² Following Brent’s speech and prayer there was a two minute nationwide silence which was issued by a presidential proclamation. These two minutes of silence are indicative of the nationwide mourning of American soldiers lost during the war. 

President Harding spoke after the minutes of silence. His speech was electrically transmitted for the first time over wires that connected to amplifiers in New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco. The urge to allow as many Americans access to the funeral service as possible created the need for new technology. When President Harding concluded his speech, the Unknown was awarded with medals. The Unknown was the recipient of: the Distinguished Service Cross (America), the Medal of Honor (America), the Belgian Croix de Guerre (Belgium), the Czechoslovak War Cross (Czechoslovakia), the Victoria Cross (England), the French Croix de Guerre (France), the Medaglia d’oro al valor militare (Italy), the War Order of Virtuti Militari (Poland), and the Virtutea Militară (Romania). Chief Plenty Coups gifted the Unknown his feathered war bonnet and coup stick, which was representative of the Native Americans who served. It was also an attempt to foster good relations between Native Americans and Americans. The giving of these awards to the Unknown makes him a hero, which mirrors the way dead soldiers are seen by society. After the Unknown received his awards, he was placed in the crypt on top of French soil. The conducting of an elaborate funeral/memorial service to the Unknown shows the nation’s gratitude for those who were killed and the high regard for dead soldiers.

Although the public reaction to burying the Unknown was overwhelmingly positive and supportive, there were many who disagreed with the idea. Among those who disagreed were pacifists, socialists, and dissenters of the war. They had two main arguments: veterans were pushed aside for a meaningless effort and patriotic ideals were being pushed on the dead.   

Significance

The funeral and visitation while the soldier lay in state at the Capitol building served as a surrogate funeral service for families who never received a body to bury. Mothers could mourn the Unknown as if he was their son, children could mourn him as if it were their father, and siblings could mourn him as if he were their brother. It was representative of funerals for American soldiers who lost friends or men in their charge. During the funeral ceremony Lieutenant Colonel Charles Whittlesey, an officer whose unit suffered great casualties, was quoted as saying, “I keep wondering if the Unknown Soldier is one of my men.”³ The burying of the Unknown allowed America to mourn, honor, and remember the soldiers killed in action. A quote pasted across page 2 of The Baltimore Sun, published on November 12, 1921, reads, “We Highly Resolve That These Dead Shall Not Have Died In Vain.”⁴

When the Unknown was buried in 1921, the grave had a plain marker. It was thought by many Americans that this was too little of a memorial since this tomb was America’s way of honoring those killed in action, but especially those who died unidentified. Thus, in 1926, Congress allocated funds to create a more elaborate monument. A watch guard was added in 1925 to prevent the general public from disrespecting the grave site. 

America was one of four total countries to bury an unknown soldier in 1921. The following Allied nations buried their unknowns:  Portugal (April 6), Belgium (September 8), and Italy (November 4). Although Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia were created after the war ended, they buried their own unknown soldiers in 1922. Romania buried their unknown May 17, 1923. The duty to honor war dead throughout multiple countries demonstrates the moral and emotional toll that World War I took on the countries involved.

Bibliography

“Body of America’s Unknown Soldier on Its Way Home Aboard the Olympia,” New York Times, October 26, 1921.

History.com Editors. “World War I.” History.com, January 12, 2023. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/world-war-i-history.

House Committee on Military Affairs. Return of Body of Unknown American Who Lost His Life in the World War. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1921.

Inglis, K. S. “Entombing Unknown Soldiers: From London and Paris to Baghdad.” History and Memory 5, no. 2 (1993): 7–31. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25618650.

Library of Congress. “Crowd at Burial of Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.” www.loc.gov, 1921. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3c00143/.

O’Donnell, Patrick K. The Unknowns: The Untold Story of America’s Unknown Soldier and WWI’s Most Decorated Heroes Who Brought Him Home. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2018.

Reuters Archive. “Burial of America’s Unknown Soldier (1921).” www.youtube.com, November 24, 1921. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-yxRkk30Ck.

Royde-Smith, John Graham, and Dennis E Showalter. “World War I.” In Encyclopedia Britannica, November 23, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-I.

Simpson, Kirke Larue. “The Unknown Soldier.” Associated Press, 1921.

Slotkin, Richard. Lost Battalions: The Great War and the Crisis of American Nationality. Henry Holt and Company, 2013.

Society of the Honor Guard. “Centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (1921-2021),” 2021. https://tombguard.org/assets/images/news/TUS100-Advocacy-Packet_v7_122320.pdf.

———. “Timeline (1914 – 1921).” The Library of Congress, 2015. https://www.loc.gov/collections/stars-and-stripes/articles-and-essays/a-world-at-war/timeline-1914-1921/.

“Unknown Soldier Sleeps At Arlington,” The Baltimore Sun, November 12, 1921, p. 1-2.

Vleck, Jenifer van, and Timothy Frank. “From Manila Bay to Philadelphia: The Life and Service of USS Olympia.” Arlington National Cemetery, October 12, 2021. https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Blog/Post/11413/From-Manila-Bay-to-Philadelphia-The-Life-and-Service-of-USS-Olympia.

mkukan

Michelle Kukan is a spring 2023 student of Discovering Digital History at Ramapo College. She is a sophomore studying history, American studies and museum & exhibition studies. She is a volunteer for Mahwah Museum’s Veterans Project and works on the Jane Addams Paper Project.

Throughout my school career I took numerous classes that discussed the 1920s. I learned about the Jazz Age, Robert Goddard’s liquid-fueled rocket, The Jazz Singer, flappers, and prohibition. Learning about Robert Goddard’s rocket was one of the more interesting topics I learned about that occurred in the 1920s. The class was not a history class, but I enjoy when history connects to other subjects. I had previously not associated technology like rockets with the 1920s. I also enjoyed learning about flappers. Flappers are one of the very few times I learned about women in history class. 

On Google, a large majority of pictures associated with search “the 1920s” are black and white photos taken during the decade. Many of these pictures reminded me of objects or information that I knew but did not necessarily remember. There are also a couple pictures of cars from the 1920s. These pictures reminded me of how primitive car safety was. I am fascinated by how cars have evolved. Along with automobiles, the Google page featured other inventions of the time, such as the traffic signal. There were also advertisements that featured products sold during this time. I found the design interesting when compared with advertisements of modern day. The few color pictures show how people in modern day take inspiration from the Roaring Twenties. It also shows how the culture of the 1920s has been interpreted. 

There are a multitude of pictures featuring flappers and the social life of those living in the 1920s. These pictures confirm the impact flappers had on history and their popularity in the 1920s. The multiple pictures showed how differently they dressed, expanding on my knowledge of how women dressed. I am surprised at the lack of pictures associated with organized crime. I had previously thought that was the most famous topic associated with the 1920s. There were some pictures of families of the 1920s. I thought the contrast of fashion between the featured wives/mothers and flappers was intriguing. One of the most interesting pictures I saw were of women working. I had previously associated women in the workplace with the World War II/ the post war era. It was interesting to learn that women were working in this time period.

Overall, I felt that looking at pictures of the 1920s provided me with more accurate knowledge of what life was like. The images provided more insight into the different cultures and communities of the time. I feel that some media created today that portrays the 1920s does not paint an actual picture of what life what like.

Bibliography

Ford Media Center. 2018. “Rouge Vehicles (1920s to 1960s).” Media.ford.com. September 27, 2018. https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/multimedia/album/history/rouge-vehicles–1920s-to-1960s-.html#.

McDowell, Erin. 2021. “Vintage Photos Show How the Role of Women in the Workforce Has Evolved in the Last 100 Years.” Business Insider. March 4, 2021. https://www.businessinsider.com/vintage-photos-of-women-working-factories#in-the-wake-of-the-industrial-revolution-more-women-than-ever-began-to-leave-the-household-and-go-out-to-work-1.

mkukan

Michelle Kukan is a spring 2023 student of Discovering Digital History at Ramapo College. She is a sophomore studying history, American studies and museum & exhibition studies. She is a volunteer for Mahwah Museum’s Veterans Project and works on the Jane Addams Paper Project.