cyclesofmystery

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Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier, Iowa, April 13, 1915  

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“GROUPE SURRÉALISTE” MAN RAY // circa 1924-25 [gelatin silver print | 9.2 x 8.3 cm.]

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Art Hickman’s Orchestra, 1919

I’ve always really loved this novelty shot of the Hickman Orchestra, and I thought this fine colorization job by Mario Unger really brought a new life to it. The photo and colorization are the main attraction here, BUT I’m going to give some context as to who these guys are in case anyone is curious.

Hickman’s outfit is one of a couple 1910s dance bands that really laid the groundwork for what popular music would sound like in the 20s (and for what it’s worth, probably my personal favorite of that particular late-1910s style which I love so dearly). Hickman’s group was among the first popular bands to utilize a saxophone section, which was kind of a big moment for the trajectory of pop music and jazz in the first half of the 20th century. Their sound took the syncopated edge of contemporary “jass” and ragtime and infused that into a ballroom orchestra style. The resulting music carries itself with a refined and elegant air, but with a certain simmering rakishness underneath- and when these guys really dig into it, they play with an undeniable ragged verve. My favorite sides by them are probably Hesitating Blues and Cairo (both recorded 1919), however Hickman is probably best remembered by his 1917 composition Rose Room (named for the hotel ballroom at which they were the house band), which you still hear played often enough today (that is, if you’re in with the right scene). Would’ve loved to hear what this band sounded like live, I can only imagine that the old acoustic recordings don’t do them full justice.

#jazz age #vintage #vintage style #vintage music #1910s #1919 #jazz banjo #hot jazz #jazz #1920s #Art Hickman #ragtime #jazz history #music history #photography #colorized #Rose Room #jazz music

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1926: “This girl has all of [the] trends and she’s not loath to wear them at once: bell earrings, a dog collar worn as a necklace, a large beauty spot on her cheek, an ivory cigarette holder, a design to cover the vaccination mark on her arm, heavy bracelets, an anklet, a photo of a boyfriend on her stocking, an anklet watch, fancy garters worn below the knee and a mirror fastened to her wrist.”

Waiting for wristwatch anklets to make a comeback

#vintage #jazz age #vintage style #1920s #1926 #1920s fashion #flapper #sheba #dadaist #fashion #vintage fashion #1920s style

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From Popular Mechanics, 1925.

Still in rehearsal, a modest collection of vintage banjo imagery.

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First Meeting, 1925, Francis Picabia

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Source details and larger version.

Here’s my seasonal collection of vintage (mostly weird) fashion.

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Happy Birthday Miss Gloria Swanson🍾

Portrait Of Gloria Swanson Behind Lace

Photographer: Edward Steichen

Vanity Fair, February 1st, 1928

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Here’s a great recording that features two of my favorite artists of the jazz age. Cliff Edwards was a veritable musical powerhouse who packed a bigger punch with just a ukulele and his wild, freaky self than many of the popular 11-piece orchestras of the day. My hot take? Edwards was one of the most jazz-forward popular vocalists of the 20s, and though his “eefin” (which is what he called his quasi-scat/mouth trumpet) technique may seem like weirdo novelty schtick at first blush, I’d say there’s something virtuosic in it. Here he’s supported by the great Adrian Rollini “wrangling the beast” (re: the bass saxophone). Alas, I cannot resist the siren song of the bass saxophone.

That’s All There Is There Ain’t No More (1925/02/24) Cliff Edwards (Ukulele Ike) Pathe’ Record #10855 (105863-PE 11566)       

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I got to see the inimitable Max Raabe and his Palast Orchester at Carnegie Hall yesterevening, and it’s got me on a Weimar dance band kick… here’s some of that to compliment this fabulous graphic:

John Heartfield (1891–1968), ''Die Arena'', #2, Feb.-March, 1927 Source

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Don’t mind me, just trying to add some more color to my page

Janet Woolley, ''Amazing Stories'', vol. 7, #2, 1998 Source

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Buster Keaton & Florence Turner College - 1927

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Portrait de dame. Collection Madame (Ernesta) Stern, Paris, 1907, plaque de verre Autochrome. Collection Madame Stern / Maria Star. eBay

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Edward Earle, Leila Hyams, and Buster Keaton Spite Marriage - 1929

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Teufel und Circe (1921)

Josef Fenneker poster artwork

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Photo: Plate from Ballet und Pantomime. 1920. Walter Schnackenberg. Poster: Peter Pathe / Maria Hagen. ca. 1918. Walter Schnackenberg.