Category Archives: 1930s

Regina Anderson Andrews and the Power of Libraries

As a lover of both libraries and theater, it perhaps inevitable that I discovered Regina Anderson Andrews, playwright, actress, salon holder, and librarian in New York City from the 1920s to the 1960s.  Anderson (1901-1993) was born in Chicago and … Continue reading

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Meet Bricktop, International Star

Born in West Virginia in 1894, Ada “Bricktop” Smith gained her nickname because of her red hair. Her family soon moved to Chicago, a center of African American culture, where she started performing full time at age sixteen.  She didn’t … Continue reading

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At the Beach, 1930s

Since summer has officially arrived, it’s time to take a look at older women in the swim. Are these two women wearing skirted bathing suits?  Or do they have on short play dresses, designed for fun and sun but not … Continue reading

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A Sewing Pattern for the Older Woman, ca. 1936

The gray haired woman on the envelope is the first clue that this pattern was aimed at an older clientele.  There are others, though.  The size—a 42 inch bust and 45 inch hips—is another indication, since women generally gain weight … Continue reading

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Considering Sportswear–Golfing, 1937

By 1937, some young women were wearing pants to play golf—but not these two.  It looks like their mother had brought for a day on the course. Did she play as well?  If so, she has on the wrong shoes. … Continue reading

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“It’s Fine for Us,” Rural Electrification Poster

Graphic artist Lester Beall made a series of posters in the 1930s and 1940s advertising the goals of the Rural Electrification Administration.  As the name implies, the New Deal Era program aimed to bring electricity to the countryside, which was … Continue reading

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Grand Opening at the Waffle Shop, 1931

I chanced upon this wonderful photo in a search for polka dresses—a favorite theme of mine.  You never know what you will find! There isn’t much of a backstory to the photo, but I imagine it was opening day at … Continue reading

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Gertrude Stein’s Philosophy of Dress

Not long ago I picked up a copy of Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, a memoir of his early years in Paris.  It includes long accounts of his contact with Gertrude Stein, who helped him establish himself during the 1920s. … Continue reading

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Meet Tish

Since the early twentieth century author Mary Roberts Rinehart made the Washington Post this morning, I thought I would do a reprise of my favorite character of hers, the single older woman, Tish. When I hear the old-fashioned word spinster, … Continue reading

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Anna May Wong, Aging

By now, everyone must have heard that Chinese American actress Anna May Wong has earned a place on American quarters.  Key elements of her famous look, including the bangs and high eyebrows, remained with her as she aged.  The photo … Continue reading

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