The Trio Of The Most Influential American Flappers

An ABS Project

THE TRIO OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL

AMERICAN FLAPPERS ARTBOOK

Published by The Roaring Vibes Written & Edited by LE VIET THOAI

The Trio of the Most Influential

AMERICAN FLAPPERS INTRODUCTION

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ordered by the victory after World War One (1914-1918) and the Great Depression (19291933), the 1920s let out a mighty roar across the United States. During the Roaring Twenties, it was undeniable that flapperism had become the most essential totem in American society. No matter how gorgeous or outrageous, free or wild, youthful or dissolute they were considered, right from the start, flappers had left a remarkable impact on the advancement of the whole society. Among them, Zelda Fitzgerald, Clara Bow and Josephine Baker were the most charismatic women that contributed to the popularity and influence of flapper style.

CONTENT FLAPPERS: AN OVERVIEW 6 THE TRIO OF THE MOST 14 INFLUENTIAL FLAPPERS 43 51

THE TRIO AGAINST FLAPPER CRITICISM CONCLUSION & REFERENCES

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FLAPPERS An Overview

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AN OVERVIEW “ They were smart and sophisticated, with an air of independence.”

(Colleen Moore)

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lappers, also known as “The New Women”, were defined as the first generation of independent American women in the 1920s who lived their life with all youthful enthusiasm.

Flapper style illustrated on The

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Vogue’s magazine cover in the 1920s

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Embracing their value of freedom, flappers confidently bobbed their hair, put on calf-revealing skirts, danced to Jazz, drove cars, enjoyed cigarettes, wine, men, and in general, treated social manners and sexual attitudes with their profound derision.

Flappers standing beside a convertible car in 1920 10

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Accordingly, the birth of flappers, blooming like a flower well-planted by the 1920s, was soon marked by talented beauties who glorified the flapper culture. They were Clara Bow, Zelda Fitzgerald and Josephine Baker.

A flapper with alcoholic drinks 11

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A painting by John Held Jr. about

Illustration of flapper style

A flapper and her boyfriend in a “petting party” in the 1920s 12

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t flappers and the Jazz Age

Two flappers smoking on a train

A flapper was arrested due to her “short” clothes 13

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THE TRIO

OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FLAPPERS

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Clara Bow (1905 - 1965)

Zelda Fitzgerald (1900 - 1948)

Josephine Baker (1906 - 1975) 15

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CLARA BOW (1905 - 1965) THE IT GIRL

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lara Bow, a Hollywood star of the silent film era , was born in 1905 in New York. Despite growing up in a broken family with an abusive father and a psychotic mother, at the age of sixteen, Clara soon began her acting career in the film “Beyond the Rainbow” (1922) and instantly shot to fame and gained her nickname “The It Girl” after a brilliant role in “It” (1927).

Clara Bow in 1917

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Clara Bow with flapper style in the 1920s

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Through the silver screen, Clara Bow deeply influenced on the beauty standards of the 1920s and popularized unmistakable characteristic of flapper style.

With these influences, Clara Bow conquered both male and female audiences’ hearts with her red bobbed hair, innocent eyes, Cupid’s bow lips, back- slit dress, bold makeup, and her carefree vivacity.

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Colorized photos of Clara Bow

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The slitting dress scene in “It” (1927)

“Red Hair” (1929), the only colored film Clara played 20

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Clara Bow’s beauty inspiring women and other art forms

As a result, she became a craze making American women, especially flappers, desire to resemble her iconic style. They attempted to imitate her appearance, put on the revealing dresses, and even follow her youthful manner.

Hence, Clara Bow was not only the most charming diva of the Roaring Twenties but also a goddess who decreed the sex appeal of any flapper.

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A giant photograph gifted to Clara Bow by Eugen Robert Richee

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Clara Bow’s various expressions in acting

Betty Boop in the animation “Popeye the Sailor” inspired

by Clara Bow 23

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ZELDA FITZGERALD (1905 - 1965) THE FIRST FLAPPER

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elda Fitzgerald, born in Alabama in 1900, besides being “the muse” of F. Scott Fitzgerald, was also the empress of flapperism in the Roaring Twenties.

Although raised in a prosperous and traditional southern family, Zelda separated herself from the hometown’s obsolete prejudice about women and enjoyed an unfettered lifestyle.

In 1920, she married the greatest novelist of the Lost Generation, Francis Scott Fitzgerald.

Zelda Fitzgerald and her husband, F. Scott Fitzgerald 24

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“All I want to be is very young always and very irresponsible and to feel that my life is my own - to live and be happy and die in my own way to please myself.”

(Zelda Fitzgerald)

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With an artistic talent, gifted intelligence, and flapper’s party spirit, Zelda influenced not only her husband but also every flapper in America. More than just an inspiration for Fitzgerald’s

Colorized photos of The Fitzgeralds literary masterpieces such as “This Side of Paradise” and “The Great Gatsby”, she also became a prominent author of the Jazz Age with her autobiographical novel “Save Me the Waltz”.

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“Save Me The Waltz”, Zelda’s novel, based on their epic love story

F. Scott. Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” (1925) inspired by Zelda 27

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“The Fifth Avenue” painted by Zelda Fitzgerald Consequently, she had, as a flapper and a female writer, embodied how “The New Woman” broke through barriers of gender stereotypes to publicly enter male-dominated realms such as art and literature.

In the end, despite turmoil in life, Zelda, as “The First Flapper”, still entirely reflected iconic values of America’s Roaring Twenties: freedom, self-indulgence, and especially, glamour.

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Paper dolls collection made by Zelda Fitzgerald 29

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“I wish I could write a b break those hearts that a se to exist: a book of faith worlds and of people who losophies of popular song Zelda used to learn ballet and loved dancing at parties.

“Legend of Zelda”, a famous Japanese video game series, was named after her.

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beautiful book to are soon to ceah and small neat o live by the phigs.”

(Zelda Fitzgerald) The Fitzgeralds: Francis, Zelda & Frances

Zelda died in the Ashville Terror in Highland Hospital on March 10th, 1965.

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JOSEPHINE BAKER (1905 - 1965) THE BLACK PEARL

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osephine Baker, born in Missouri in 1906, was an American-born French singer, dancer, spy, and civil right activist.

Right at her twenty, Josephine Baker became the first black woman performing in the Revue Negre, a world-class show in Paris at that time.

The Revue Negre Music Hall’s Poster As a flapper of the 1920s, Josephine exerted influences not only on performing arts but also on military activities and civil rights movements.

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Through her enchanting voice and appealing appearance, Josephine innovated theatrical art and spread Jazz culture.

Josephine Baker with the dan Josephine Baker with her extraordinary banana skirt 34

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Josephine Baker singing on stage

nce Charleston on stage On every Paris stage, she brought the Charleston dance to a new level with her appealing motions in a single dress made of sixteen bananas, which turned her into an artistic phenomenon across Europe.

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When the Second World War broke out, Josephine bravely took on a double life in which she became a professional spy against Nazi Germany.

Josephine Baker working in the Maquis (WWII) 36

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Josephine Baker and the “Legion d’Honneur” medal During her performance tours, Josephine successfully delivered confidential documents in her luggage.

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Above all, the most essential legacy that Josephine, as an African American flapper, left to the world was the unremitting dedication to eliminating racism.

“All my life, I have maintained that the people of the world can learn to live together in peace if they are not brought up in prejudice.”

Josephine Baker Once witnessing a black people massacre, she was determined to end the discrimination on races and genders through her art.

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Josephine Baker’s speech in Washington, 1963 In the end, Josephine forever engraved her fame in our hearts not only as a flapper, an American, or a French but also as a great woman of mankind.

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Josephine Baker dolls with a banana skirt were sold across Europe after her first performance.

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Josephine’s image inspired other artists, eg: Beyonce,

Josephine was forever honored at the Pathenon Palace in France.

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THE TRIO AGAINST

FLAPPERS’ CRITICISM

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he advent of flapper culture soon aroused two conflicting public opinions in America. While the advocates recognized flappers as the revolutionaries of modern womanhood, the critics considered them as abnormal, ill-educated, and detrimental

The “Life” magazine cover 44

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to traditional values. Nevertheless, these arguments were quickly countered by the proponents and reality, especially through the life and work of Clara Bow, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Josephine Baker.

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Being the new lifestyle icon, Clara Bow made flappers’ images widespread and admirable through the silver screen. Putting on the dazzling short dresses, Clara not only inspired modern fashion but also shredded the shabby rags of outdated ideology once preventing women from expressing themselves gorgeously.

Flapper’s clothes (the second woman from the left) and previous era’s ones 46

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Like Clara Bow, Zelda Fitzgerald also raised her voice through the beautiful world of literary art to completely demolish the wrong assumptions about flappers’ intellectual abilities. With her talents, Zelda asserted that flapperism was a brainy achievement accomplished by young women realizing their rights and status in society.

Dorothy Parker (1893 - 1967)

Anita Loos (1989 - 1981)

Anita Loos and Dorothy Parker were other famous writers and flappers of the 1920s.

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Flappers wanted to be equal to men . . .

. . . even in their bad habits.

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Women’s suffrage poster in August, 1920 As the final part of the trio, Josephine Baker successfully proved that flappers had reformulated modern womanhood rather than being the decadence of traditional standards. Indeed, through her performances, her espionage, and human rights activities, Josephine perfectly represented how flappers fought for women’s equality with men from the dance floors, the lecture halls to the battlefields.

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CONCLUSION AND

REFERENCES

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CONCLUSION

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n brief, flapper culture was one of the most memorable icons of the Roaring Twenties. As the trio of the most influential flappers of the decade, Clara Bow, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Josephine Baker had greatly exemplified the novelty and vigor overflown in flappers.

Clara Bow

Josephine Baker

Zelda Fitzgerald 52

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Cleopatra (69 - 30 BC)

Joan of Arc (1412-1431)

Boudica (? - 60 or 61 AD)

Indeed, the lifestyle Clara presented, the thoughts Zelda wrote down, and the dances Josephine performed had perfectly complemented the essential advancement of women’s liberation.

And the same as the advent of legendary heroines like Boudica, Cleopatra, or Joan of Arc in history, the trio, and every flapper, had forever surmounted the gender stereotypes once imprisoning women.

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REFERENCES

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