Airport Of The Ages

While I was researching local history, I discovered that the Newark Metropolitan Airport (now called Newark Liberty International Airport), had its humble beginnings in 1928. As it predated LaGuardia Airport by 11 years, Newark Metropolitan was an aviation milestone. It was also the first airport to feature a paved runway instead of a gravel one, and an air traffic control tower. Both of these allowed pilots to take off and land easier and safer than before. Communication between pilots in the air, in the ground, and air traffic control allowed for more efficient takeoffs/landings. Not knowing much about the 1920s before enrolling in this class, I would not have known any sort of air traffic control technology, even as rudimentary as it was, existed in 1928. To learn that this sort of technology traces all the way back almost 100 years was not only very interesting to me, it actually blew my mind.

An early photo of Newark Metropolitan Airport, circa 1928 (reddit)

Post-War Resolution Solutions

After The Great War ended on 11/11/1918, The Allied Powers had come together to outline a plan for world peace. While Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points were widely accepted by the League of Nations (The United Nations predecessor), the general consensus was that Germany was not punished harshly enough. Throughout the War, the German military engaged in chemical warfare, and even sunk civilian ships – both of which went against the Potsdam Conference guidelines for modern warfare. In the spring of 1919, The Treaty of Versailles was drafted – this treaty essentially put all of the blame on Germany for starting the war, and demanded that the nation pay an impossible amount of financial reparations with harsh consequences for non-payment. On January 10, 1920, The Treaty went into effect, after the required number of countries voted to ratify it. 2/3 of the attendees of the Paris Peace conference were needed to ratify the Treaty; 32 countries attended, and 21 were needed to ratify. Interestingly, 42 countries voted in favor. I personally was not aware the Treaty of Versailles was enacted in 1920! I would have assumed the Treaty would have been put in place as soon as the War was over, considering how harshly the other nations wanted to punish Germany and how much money in reparations was wanted.

A copy of the Treaty of Versailles in English, Auckland Museum

In Conclusion

After learning more about the 1920s than meets the eye, I can say confidently say there was more than just bootlegging, Gatsby-Style parties, organized crime, and flappers. Advancements in the aviation field, and an interesting political climate began brewing. In January 1920, the Treaty of Versailles was enacted after being ratified with over 131% of the amount of countries needed. Although it did not directly cause it, the Treaty did lead to a domino of events that lead to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the beginning of World War II. Towards the end of the decade, The Newark Metropolitan Airport opened – the first commercial airport in the NYC/North Jersey area to feature both a paved runway and an air traffic control tower. I did not even know the technology to operate ATC existed in 1928, so this was very interesting to read and learn about!

Works Cited

Treaty of Versailles, English Version. June 28, 1919. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Treaty_of_Versailles,_English_version.jpg.

u/rollotomasi07071. Newark Airport, Circa 1928. 2021. Reddit. https://i.redd.it/6f639dty5uq71.jpg.

Jacob Gonzalez

Jacob is a Communication Arts student at Ramapo College. Although creating custom merchandise and promotional products is his passion, he has a soft spot for discovering interesting and obscure history.

jgonzalezdesigns.myportfolio.com

A photo of a section of Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points (National Archives)

Transcription

It will be our wish and purpose that the processes of peace, when they are begun, shall be absolutely open and that they shall involve and permit henceforth no secret understandings of any kind. The day of conquest and aggrandizement is gone by; so is also the day of secret covenants entered into in the interest of particular governments and likely at some unlooked-for moment to upset the peace of the world. It is this happy fact, now clear to the view of every public man whose thoughts do not still linger in an age that is dead and gone, which makes it possible for every nation whose purposes are consistent with justice and the peace of the world to avow now or at any other time the objects it has in view.

We entered this war because violations of right had occurred which touched us to the quick and made the life of our own people impossible unless they were corrected and the world secure once for all against their recurrence. What we demand in this war, therefore, is nothing peculiar to ourselves. It is that the world be made fit and safe to live in; and particularly that it be made safe for every peace-loving nation which, like our own, wishes to live its own life, determine its own institutions, be assured of justice and fair dealing by the other peoples of the world as against force and selfish aggression. All the peoples of the world are in effect partners in this interest, and for our own part we see very clearly that unless justice be done to others it will not be done to us. The programme of the world’s peace, therefore, is our programme; and that programme, the only possible programme, as we see it, is this:

I. Open covenants of peace, openly arrived at, after which there shall be no private international understandings of any kind but diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and in the public view.

II. Absolute freedom of navigation upon the seas, outside territorial waters, alike in peace and in war, except as the seas may be closed in whole or in part by international action for the enforcement of international covenants.

III. The removal, so far as possible, of all economic barriers and the establishment of an equality of trade conditions among all the nations consenting to the peace and associating themselves for its maintenance.

IV. Adequate guarantees given and taken that national armaments will be reduced to the lowest point consistent with domestic safety.

V. A free, open-minded, and absolutely impartial adjustment of all colonial claims, based upon a strict observance of the principle that in determining all such questions of sovereignty the interests of the populations concerned must have equal weight with the equitable claims of the government whose title is to be determined.

VI. The evacuation of all Russian territory and such a settlement of all questions affecting Russia as will secure the best and freest cooperation of the other nations of the world in obtaining for her an unhampered and unembarrassed opportunity for the independent determination of her own political development and national policy and assure her of a sincere welcome into the society of free nations under institutions of her own choosing; and, more than a welcome, assistance also of every kind that she may need and may herself desire. The treatment accorded Russia by her sister nations in the months to come will be the acid test of their good will, of their comprehension of her needs as distinguished from their own interests, and of their intelligent and unselfish sympathy.

VII. Belgium, the whole world will agree, must be evacuated and restored, without any attempt to limit the sovereignty which she enjoys in common with all other free nations. No other single act will serve as this will serve to restore confidence among the nations in the laws which they have themselves set and determined for the government of their relations with one another. Without this healing act the whole structure and validity of international law is forever impaired.

VIII. All French territory should be freed and the invaded portions restored, and the wrong done to France by Prussia in 1871 in the matter of Alsace-Lorraine, which has unsettled the peace of the world for nearly fifty years, should be righted, in order that peace may once more be made secure in the interest of all.

IX. A readjustment of the frontiers of Italy should be effected along clearly recognizable lines of nationality.

X. The peoples of Austria-Hungary, whose place among the nations we wish to see safeguarded and assured, should be accorded the freest opportunity to autonomous development.

XI. Rumania, Serbia, and Montenegro should be evacuated; occupied territories restored; Serbia accorded free and secure access to the sea; and the relations of the several Balkan states to one another determined by friendly counsel along historically established lines of allegiance and nationality; and international guarantees of the political and economic independence and territorial integrity of the several Balkan states should be entered into.

XII. The Turkish portion of the present Ottoman Empire should be assured a secure sovereignty, but the other nationalities which are now under Turkish rule should be assured an undoubted security of life and an absolutely unmolested opportunity of autonomous development, and the Dardanelles should be permanently opened as a free passage to the ships and commerce of all nations under international guarantees.

XIII. An independent Polish state should be erected which should include the territories inhabited by indisputably Polish populations, which should be assured a free and secure access to the sea, and whose political and economic independence and territorial integrity should be guaranteed by international covenant.

XIV. A general association of nations must be formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike.

In regard to these essential rectifications of wrong and assertions of right we feel ourselves to be intimate partners of all the governments and peoples associated together against the Imperialists. We cannot be separated in interest or divided in purpose. We stand together until the end.

For such arrangements and covenants we are willing to fight and to continue to fight until they are achieved; but only because we wish the right to prevail and desire a just and stable peace such as can be secured only by removing the chief provocations to war, which this programme does remove. We have no jealousy of German greatness, and there is nothing in this programme that impairs it. We grudge her no achievement or distinction of learning or of pacific enterprise such as have made her record very bright and very enviable. We do not wish to injure her or to block in any way her legitimate influence or power. We do not wish to fight her either with arms or with hostile arrangements of trade if she is willing to associate herself with us and the other peace- loving nations of the world in covenants of justice and law and fair dealing. We wish her only to accept a place of equality among the peoples of the world, — the new world in which we now live, — instead of a place of mastery.

Jacob Gonzalez

Jacob is a Communication Arts student at Ramapo College. Although creating custom merchandise and promotional products is his passion, he has a soft spot for discovering interesting and obscure history.

jgonzalezdesigns.myportfolio.com

The main page, which features the “About Us” section of the ADSNY, has a section that includes their mission statement, board of directors, its leadership, a brief history of the society, and even a way to get in touch! The Art Deco Society of New York happens to be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and is also a member of the International Coalition of Art Deco Societies, or ICADS for short. As they are not motivated by making a profit, the ADSNY is able to focus more on educating viewers with factually correct information versus misleading articles and featuring more ads than information. Their brief history section about the society states that they were first founded in 1982 as a nonprofit organization. As previously mentioned, the ADSNY is not motivated by profit, and their main goal is to draw attention to and educate the public about the significance of Art Deco and the influence it had in the 1920s and 1930s.

Each article features a small bio about its author at the bottom, as every article is written by a different author. The main information highlighted includes their educational background, degree, and where they have worked in the past in their relative field(s). Most of the articles, especially the ones written about Art Deco design, feature multiple images, all with a quick description and a translation for its title, or important text, if necessary. Unfortunately, I do not see any links or citations showing the sources for the images shown in the websites’ articles. Also included in the articles are quotes from sources pertaining to the articles topic. For example, the article titled “Gone to Sea: The Art Deco Ocean Liners” features a quote from Everett Viez, who was a maritime historian.

All in all, the Art Deco Society of New York’s website is an excellent source for doing research about the Art Deco architecture, art, crafts, and interior design. Featured are different headings about Art Deco elements, and in each section are multiple articles written by authors and historians in their respective fields (i.e. architecture, history). The articles shown all feature captioned images, as well as a brief bio about the author and their credentials. Also included is a small collection of videos that explore Art Deco era events and topics, such as the 1939 World’s Fair. Lastly, a list of books that feature information about the Art Deco era is included. This list allows viewers to find a book more specific to what they are researching or would like to know more about.

Jacob Gonzalez

Jacob is a Communication Arts student at Ramapo College. Although creating custom merchandise and promotional products is his passion, he has a soft spot for discovering interesting and obscure history.

jgonzalezdesigns.myportfolio.com

Newark Metropolitan Airport, also known as EWR, is located at 3 Brewster Rd, Newark, New Jersey. It is located on the border of the cities Newark and Elizabeth, a driveable distance from from both New York City and northern New Jersey. While it is considered property of the City of Newark, it is operated and managed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. EWR is considered a milestone in both aviation and local history, as it was the first commercial airport in its area. Opening on October 1, 1928, it predates the opening of LaGuardia airport on December 2, 1939. Newark Metropolitan Airport was, and still is, a major transportation hub for both domestic and international flights.

Divisions in Story (H5)

Create divisions in your post using the H5 header. This can make longer text easier to read.

Significance (H3)

Insert paragraphs here that tell the reader why you selected [TOPIC] to explore and how you think they fit into the story of the 1920s. Was this event or person widely known at the time and has our view of them changed over time? Does this story complicate our ideas about the 1920s or reinforce them?

Bibliography

Featured Image

“R/Newjersey – Happy Birthday to the First Major Airport in NYC Metro Area: Newark Metropolitan Airport, Currently Newark Liberty International Airport, Opened on on This Date in 1928. the Top 3 Domestic / International Destinations from Newark Are Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami / London, Tel Aviv, and Toronto.” reddit, 2021. https://www.reddit.com/r/newjersey/comments/pz7p3l/happy_birthday_to_the_first_major_airport_in_nyc/

“Infrastructure: New Jersey (NJ) Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).” NYCdata | Infrastructure. Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business, 2021. https://www.baruch.cuny.edu/nycdata/infrastructure/airport_newark.html#:~:text=Newark%20opened%20on%20October%201,by%20the%20United%20State%20Army.

Lewis, James, ed. “EWR Turns 80 A History of Newark Liberty International Airport.” Newark Public Library, October 11, 2016. https://www.npl.org/ewr-turns-80-a-history-of-newark-liberty-international-airport/

Jacob Gonzalez

Jacob is a Communication Arts student at Ramapo College. Although creating custom merchandise and promotional products is his passion, he has a soft spot for discovering interesting and obscure history.

jgonzalezdesigns.myportfolio.com

After The Great War, now known as World War 1, the League of Nations had assembled to draft and ratify the Treaty of Versailles. Although the treaty was signed by the German government on June 28, 1919, it did not go into effect until January 10, 1920. The German government, the Weimar Republic, had asked Woodrow Wilson to draft an armistice treaty. The armistice of The Great War declared that [Germany] accepted the Fourteen Points that he had formulated and presented to the U.S. Congress in January 1918 as the basis for a just peace. ¹ While the United States and Germany accepted these terms, other nations did not believe Germany was punished harshly enough for the four years of war they had caused. The Allied Powers had demanded compensation from Germany for all of the damages to the civilian population. Wilson’s original Fourteen Points for world peace called for peace, independence of occupied nations, and a general association of nations must be formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike. ² However, it did not mention any financial reparations from Germany to the Allied nations. This, and a few other added points, is where the Treaty of Versailles comes into play

The War Guilt Clause

Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles was known as the War Guilt Clause. In Germany, it was more popularly known as the ‘War Guilt Lie”. Article 231 was generally interpreted in Germany at the time as charging Germany with having caused the War. ³ Despite Germans calling this a lie, most of the Allied nations, and even all of the German public, just accepted it as a fact – Germany was responsible for causing The Great War. From Part VIII Reparations §1 General Provisions, Article 231 of the Treaty states The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies. ⁴ With this clause, Germany unconditionally accepted all guilt for all of the damages, loss, casualties, and loss of civilian life as a result of the War, and are deemed the aggressors. On top of that, the German army began using mustard gas in 1917, which resulted in over 2,000 casualties.

Financial Reparations

Although President Wilson’s Fourteen Points was agreed on by the Allied Powers, there was a big element that was missing which they wanted to be included – financial reparations from Germany for all of the damages they caused over the last four years. When the Treaty was first drafted in 1919, it was impossible to compute the exact sum to be paid as reparations for the damage caused by the Germans, especially in France and Belgium. ⁵ In 1921, The damages were assessed at approximately 33 billion dollars; that equates to $551,542,458,100.56 in 2023. When the Treaty was written, economists around the world had deemed it unfeasible for Germany to pay this large sum of money without causing financial problems worldwide. Despite this, the Allies still insisted Germany pay this beyond massive debt. Not only did they still insist this sum of money be paid, the Allies also included in the treaty a section that allowed Germany to be further punished if they could not make their payments. Article 233 of the Treaty states how the Commission shall concurrently draw up a schedule of payments prescribing the time and manner for securing and discharging the entire obligation within a period of thirty years from May 1, 1921. If, however, within the period mentioned, Germany fails to discharge her obligations, any balance remaining unpaid may, within the discretion of the Commission, be postponed for settlement in subsequent years, or may be handled otherwise in such manner as the Allied and Associated Governments, acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in this Part of the present Treaty, shall determine. ⁶

Reparations and its Impact on the German Economy

Due to the astronomical amount Germany had to pay, the Weimar Republic began to print more money. While it did seem like printing more money would help the country pay back their reparations faster, there’s one major problem that was not accounted for – inflation. According to Dictionary.com, inflation is “a persistent, substantial rise in the general level of prices related to an increase in the volume of money and resulting in the loss of value of currency”. This is exactly what the Weimar Republic, Germany’s post-war government, was doing. The more German Marks were printed, the less they were worth. In a 1920 newspaper article by the Omaha Daily Bee, the author wrote how the Germans probably will have to work four times as hard, however, to meet this cost ⁷ In 1923, Germany reached the apex of the hyperinflation of its currency. With the amount of money that was printed, the exchange rate between the dollar and the Mark was one trillion Marks to one dollar, and a wheelbarrow full of money would not even buy a newspaper⁸

Significance of the Treaty

The Treaty of Versailles had a very negative impact on both German morale, as well as the country’s economic stance. With inflation causing the German Mark to be essentially worthless, people were literally burning money to heat their homes, using it as wallpaper, and although the country functioned again, the savings were never restored, nor were the values of hard work and decency that had accompanied the savings. ⁹ After the Mark had peaked its inflation rate, a new leader of the Reichsbank, Horace Greely Hjalmar Schacht, had taken over and introduced a new form of currency – the new Rentenmark, which had the value of one billion traditional German Marks. With this new glimpse of prosperity came a new political party in the country. The Nazi Party had promised change in favor of the German public. After a failed coup in 1923, they won 32 seats in the next government election. Along with the Nazi Party, the German Nationalist party won 106 seats in that same election with similar promises as the Nazis; 100 percent compensation to the victims of inflation and vengeance on the conspirators who had brought it. ¹⁰ In a way, the Treaty of Versailles could be seen as one of the factors that lead to the start of World War II, as Adolf Hitler used the extremely harsh punishment of Germany for World War I, and the state it left the country in, to start another war, and gain back everything they had been stripped of in the Treaty.

Citations

“American Trade With Germany Is Unchanged As Yet.” The World-News, 1 Jan. 1920.

Hacken, Richard, and Jane Plotke, eds. “Peace Treaty of Versailles, Articles 231-247 and Annexes, Reparations.” Brigham Young University, November 11, 1998. https://net.lib.byu.edu/~rdh7/wwi/versa/versa7.html.

Rosewater, Victor, editor. “Why The German Mark Has Fallen.” Omaha Daily Bee, 1 Jan. 1920.

Smith, Adam. “Commanding Heights : The German Hyperinflation, 1923 | on PBS.” PBS. Public Broadcasting Service. Accessed February 22, 2023. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/shared/minitext/ess_germanhyperinflation.html#:~:text=In%201923%2C%20at%20the%20most,surprise%20by%20the%20financial%20tornado.

Temperley, Harold. “‘WAR GUILT’ IN THE PEACE TREATY.” History 17, no. 67 (1932): 231–37. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24400824.

“Treaty of Versailles.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., January 6, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Versailles-1919.

Wilson, Woodrow. “President Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points (1918).” National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, February 8, 2022. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-woodrow-wilsons-14-points.

Woodrow Wilson. 1918. Pencil shorthand draft of ‘The Fourteen Points’ Address. https://library-artstor-org.library2.ramapo.edu:2443/asset/LOCEON_1039801439.

Jacob Gonzalez

Jacob is a Communication Arts student at Ramapo College. Although creating custom merchandise and promotional products is his passion, he has a soft spot for discovering interesting and obscure history.

jgonzalezdesigns.myportfolio.com

The Wild Parties

The 1920’s was a time of economic prosperity. Similar to the Rococo era in France, the Roaring 20s were filled with wild parties hosted and attended by the wealthy. Both the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald and the movie adaptation of The Great Gatsby depict the wild lifestyle the wealthy upper class lived during this decade. Whether one was born into a wealthy family or they had worked to earn their wealth, the desire to live like Jay Gatsby was prevalent. And what was a Roaring 20s party without alcohol? Yes, alcohol was made illegal via prohibition, but that didn’t stop those who desired it from obtaining it. In fact, I believe there is a theory that Jay Gatsby became wealthy by running a bootleg alcohol operation of his own.

Prohibition and the origins of NASCAR

In 1920, The 18th Amendment was ratified – with its passing, alcohol was no longer allowed to be sold, manufactured, or transported to stores or consumers. However, there were clever people who were able to go around the rules. This is the time when moonshine originated – moonshine is a very strong liquor that got its name from the fact that it was distilled during the night, with only the moon’s light. Also, if you notice, the 18th Amendment did ban the sale/manufacturing of alcohol, however the Government left out one important piece – the consumption of alcohol was still perfectly legal. So, once the moonshine was distilled, it was legal to consume. Once bootleg alcohol was made, it needed to be transported quickly before it was confiscated. Bootleggers began modifying their cars to increase the power and outrun law enforcement. NASCAR racing, which still exists in 2023, was born out of Prohibition.

Where Did Confiscated Booze End Up?

After immersing myself in photographs taken in the 1920s, I realized it is mostly what I had learned it was. One common practice I did not realize was the disposal of alcohol once the 18th Amendment was passed. Prohibition agents, under the government, were tasked with finding bootleg alcohol and disposing it. In many photos taken during Prohibition, these agents can be seen dumping alcohol into city sewer drains so that it could not be bought or sold. As previously mentioned,

“After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.” Upon reading the Amendment in the Constitution, you will notice that the consumption is still legal – however, agents were still tasked with destroying it so it was not to be sold. If alcohol was sold illegally, the government was not making the tax money on it, so Prohibition agents were tasked by the U.S. government to prevent that from happening.

Wheeler, Wayne. “U.S. Constitution – Eighteenth Amendment – Congress.gov.” Constitution Annotated: Analysis and Interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Accessed January 24, 2023. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-18/.

Whacky Inventions

From the invention of the adhesive bandage to the traffic light, the 1920s was also a time of intellectual prosperity. One 20s invention that is still very popular today is quick frozen food. Inventor Clarence Birdseye had learned how indigenous people used the cold environment to freeze and preserve their fish. In 1923, Birdseye founded a frozen fish company. Although Traditional slow-freezing methods had existed prior to this, Birdseye’s method allowed food to be preserved and allow it to retain its qualities as if it were fresh. When fish was frozen slowly, its texture and flavor were lost – resulting in an unsatisfactory meal.

Works Cited

Bennett, Joy. Band-Aid Advertisement 1920s. Hancock Historical Museum. Accessed January 24, 2023. https://hancockhistoricalmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/BAND-AID-ad-1921-sm2-300×193.jpg

Cox, Savannah. New York City Prohibition Agents Dumping Liquor into the Gutter. July 24, 2012. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/new-york-1920s-prohibition3.jpg

Goldfarb, Brad. Baz Luhrmann’s Film Adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Starring Tobey Maguire, Lenoardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Joel Edgerton. April 30, 2013. Architectural Digest. https://media.architecturaldigest.com/photos/55e78c66302ba71f3017cc1a/master/w_1600,c_limit/dam-images-set-design-great-gatsby-great-gatsby-movie-set-design-01-tobey-maguire-leonardo-dicaprio-carey-mulligan.jpg

Wheeler, Wayne. “U.S. Constitution – Eighteenth Amendment – Congress.gov.” Constitution Annotated: Analysis and Interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Accessed January 24, 2023. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-18/

Jacob Gonzalez

Jacob is a Communication Arts student at Ramapo College. Although creating custom merchandise and promotional products is his passion, he has a soft spot for discovering interesting and obscure history.

jgonzalezdesigns.myportfolio.com