Happy New Year! We’ve made it to the year 2020; a whole new decade with lots of potential. To celebrate the new year, we are doing a flashback to the Roaring Twenties! We have so many fun pieces from the 1920s decade to share with you.

The Roaring Twenties

The period of the 1920s became known as the “Roaring Twenties” due to a surge in the American economy. The surge created an era of mass consumerism and refined arts and culture. The social and political change that came about was dramatic. People began living in cities rather than on farms, began spending more money on commodities, and embraced a freeing lifestyle. The nation’s wealth as a whole increased drastically during the decade as consumerism took hold. With the spread of information across the country via advertisements and news, the urban and daring lifestyle became the norm for Americans.

Take a look at some of these pieces of American history from the 1920s!

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is considered by many one of the greatest works of American literature of the 20th century. The novel’s setting during the “Jazz Age” in New York gives readers a glimpse into the glitz and glam of the decade. This first edition book is preserved with custom, hand binding to protect its original pages, which date to 1925. It is fully bound in blue Moroccan leather with hand-tooled gilding and a custom, matching clamshell case.

This map of Chicago from 1926 gives a look at the city in the eyes of a tourist. The map highlights all of the monuments and important buildings of the city, which are detailed in small illustrations. The map also includes colored lines that show the motor coaches routes throughout Chicago.

A unique view of 1920s photography, this antique picture shows a young team of football players lined up in their uniforms. Though the team name and members are unknown, this piece gives a glimpse into 1920s photography. It also shows just how different football uniforms were back in the day!

This very rare collectors set of Winnie the Pooh includes U.K. first editions and an early printing of all four of Milne’s Pooh works. The set also includes the author’s signature within one of the books. These novels, which were published between the years 1924 to 1928, have lived on famously throughout the decades. They are fully bound in Moroccan leather with elaborate gilt tooling and embossed covers. All books are housed together in an archival slipcase. 

Lindbergh’s first autobiographical work, We recounts his education as an aviator, his early career, and the 1927 flight that made him famous. The work gives a snapshot look into flight in the 1920s and provides insight into the famous pilot himself. Bound in full blue leather with custom gilt tooling, the original 1927 work is preserved for decades to come.