Monthly Archives: February 2016

“How Long Will They Last?” Endurance Dance Contests: Jazz-Age Reality TV

Posted on February 29, 2016 by

~*~ 572 hours and thirty-one minutes: almost twenty-four whole days. That’s how long “Chicago’s first all-Negro endurance dance contest” lasted.1 Starting July 1st, 1928 at the 8th Regiment Armory in the heart of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, and ending on July 25th at the Savoy … Continue reading →

Posted in 1920s fads, blog tour, Social Customs of the 1920s, video post | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

How Al Capone Helped Invent the Modern Potato Chip

Posted on February 24, 2016 by

If you live in the Chicagoland area—or even just the greater Midwest—you’ve probably eaten Jay’s Potato Chips. What you might not know, however, is who is majorly responsible for them: Al Capone! Seriously. According to Jay Shefsky, host of WTTW’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Al Capone, video post | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Give in to the Feeling Blog Tour Starts Today!

Posted on February 19, 2016 by

Hey there everyone! February 18th marks the beginning of my friend Sarah’s awesome new blog tour, Give in to the Feeling! Give in to the Feeling also happens to be the title of her NEW novella going on sale March 4th, 2016 … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

New Page: Living Book List!

Posted on February 17, 2016 by

Looking for more books about Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties? Try my new Page, listed in the tabs at the top of this website. This is my first attempt at a permanent “living” book list, which I plan to update … Continue reading →

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Resource Spotlight: The Stag Cookbook with Recipes from Chicago Mayor “Big Bill” Thompson, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Houdini, President Warren G. Harding, Chick Evans, and many more!

Posted on February 10, 2016 by

Today’s Spotlight Resource post features recipes “by men and for men”—but in this case, the contributors are a veritable who’s who of the 1920s. Famous film stars, scientists, sportsmen, politicians, explorers, and many more sent in recipes for this book. … Continue reading →

Posted in link post, primary source review, resource spotlight | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Update: Al Capone’s House Could be Yours!

Posted on February 5, 2016 by

Remember that post I wrote about Al Capone’s house last month? Well, as of today, February 5th, Al’s house is back on the market! For less than $200,000 ($179,000 to be exact), YOU could own an important piece of Chicago history—and … Continue reading →

Posted in Al Capone, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 4 Comments

New Posting Series: Resource Spotlight

Posted on February 3, 2016 by

Looking for some fun, new, or terribly odd errata from the 1920s? In this new series, I’ll be putting a spotlight on some of the stranger materials I come across while digging through online databases on various topics related to the 1920s. Each resource will always be … Continue reading →

Posted in resource spotlight, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment