Breathtaking AdvancesAmericans are no longer streaming west in search of open vistas, but rather flowing into cities everywhere, seeking amenities and jobs. All the action is in urban areas, where amazing new gadgets blend with rich entertainment. Movies now talk to audiences, in theaters seating as many as 6,000. Jazz riffs float out of club doorways, and living-room radios. People are driving everywhere, and even flying across oceans. Some pilots are women. But the biggest indicator of change is in the appearance of ordinary people. Floor length gowns covering every inch of skin have been tossed aside, replaced with outfits revealing almost everything. |
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Major Upgrade America's tidal wave of change begins with the automobile. You no longer have to stand in front, with arms cranking and back complaining, just to get them started, There are now 25 million on the road. Airplanes are simply the logical extension of the auto. The liberating sense that this new mobility brings to America is evident all around. | |||||||||
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Gaining Recognition Nowhere is evidence of this new liberation more evident than among women. Previously, long hair was carefully coiled up on top, almost without exception (top left). Now, it's bobbed short, for less bother and fuss. In national affairs, women are now leading from the front (lower right). Some have even mastered the amazing new machines that float on air (top right). | |||||||||
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Electric Homes Change is sweeping through the American home with equal velocity, bringing sparkling new kitchens that barely resemble their humble predecessors. Electric appliances handle chores that used to require time and effort, freeing housewives for other things. | |||||||||
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Dazzling Shows The change in entertainment options is similarly vast. Gone are the crazily-speeded-up silent movies, featuring mostly comedy stunts. Gone, too, are most of the traveling vaudeville shows, with their mixed bag of novelty performers. The new movies are a complete makeover, sometimes lasting hours, and featuring full orchestration. At the same time, trendy clubs present intimate productions that rival, and sometimes surpass, lavish Broadway shows. | |||||||||
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New Guy in Town While America is upgrading at home, it is also enjoying newly-earned respect overseas. During the Great War (as World War One is initially called), the Great Powers of Europe spends four long years struggling to maintain tiny battlefield gains. But when the Americans arrive, flooding the battlefront with men and material, the war is over within months. As everyone realizes, the difference is American involvement. Lindbergh's arrival is icing on the American cake. | |||||||||