1920's Glog

The first crossword puzzle, or "word-cross," as it was initally called, was created in 1913 by Arthur Wynne. However, the first book of crossword puzzles, which would go on to launch their popularity during the 1920's, was published in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Shuster, pictured at left (Santoso).

Dance marathons were a popular fad during the 1920's as people gathered for endurance dance competitons. In the picture to the left, a poster or postcard advertises for a dance marathon. The dance marathons functioned as lucrative events, with admission prices in order to come and view the event (Cellania).

This crossword puzzle appeared in the March,1925 issue of "The Red Barrel." It was actually developed by a reader who won a contest to have his or her original coca-cola themed crossword puzzle published in the magazine (Booker).

Flagpole sitting was another popular fad during the 1920's as people would sit on platforms on top of flagpoles and see how long they could stay up. The fad began in 1924 when Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly took a dare and sat on top of a flagpole for 13 hours and 13 minutes. Pictured above, a crowd gathers to watch the spectacle and at left, a man participates in flagpole sitting ("Flagpole Sitting...").

Mahjong, a board game rooted in mid-19th century China, became very popular in the United States during the 1920's as people, coaxed along by the game manufacturer Parker Brothers, flocked to the game. Pictured at left is an instructional manual about how to play mahjong published by Philip Naftly in 1922. Interestingly, it brags that Confucius played the game 2200 years ago when the game is not nearly that old. It further brags that mahjong is "The rage of today," speaking to its popularity at the time (Walters).

The flappers, a social group of the 1920's were usually, young, energetic women who were known for their active social lives and lifestyles as well as their more provocative fashion choices. Pictured above is the cover of an issue of Life Magazine published in February of 1926 portraying a flapper and an older man dancing together (Rosenberg).

Fads of the 1920's

Works CitedBooker, Jamal. "Coca-Cola Crossword Puzzle." Coca-colacompany.com. Coca-Cola, 17 Nov. 2011. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.Celania, Miss. "Dancing for Dollars." Neatorama.com. Neatorama, 16 Jan. 2012. Web. 1 Apr. 2015."Flagpole Sitting Fad of the 1920's." Mortaljourney.com. Mortal Journey, n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Flappers in the Roaring Twenties."History1900s.about.com. About Education, n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.Santoso, Alex. "The Origin of the Crossword Puzzle." Neatorama.com. Neatorama, 31 Mar. 2008. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.The Panic Is On. Youtube.com. Youtube, 25 June 2009. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.Walters, Ashley. "From China to U.S., the Game of Mahjong Shaped Modern America, Says Stanford Scholar." News.stanford.edu. Stanford News, 15 July 2013. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.