What sparked your fascination with the "Golden Era"?

[IndianaWay]

I grew up in the 70's in rural Indiana. The adults I really admired in our community seemed to have a sense of class and decorum mixed with a certain degree of strength, confidence and self-reliance. I read pretty much this entire thread tonight and loved previous posts about people "back in the day" dressing up before they would go anywhere. I have seen pictures from local high school basketball games in the 50's and 60's where pretty much all the men wore suits and the ladies wore dresses. Class and respect are the words that come to mind.

I also have to credit my grandparents - both born in the late 'teens.' My grandpa's brother was killed in WWII. I remember one night as a teenager at Grandpa's/Grandma's house I said something (I don't remember what) and they both looked at each other and said I sounded like the "spittin' image" of his brother. It was kind of an eerie feeling and while I don't think there was anything supernatural, it did make me curious about him and that time period.

I loved listening to "old" music on the radio at their house - Mockingbird Hill comes to mind. I now have a 1940 Philco radio I'd like to have restored. Back in the 70's Grandpa also really wanted me to get a haircut - I've now pretty much adopted a "short back and sides" of which I think he would have approved. Probably my interest is a bit of homage to him and Grandma but it's also borne out of an admiration for a generation of people who faced some very real challenges and didn't crumble under pressure. It's that sense of class, resilience and character I would like to someday exemplify for those who would see me was one of the "older people" in the community. I know I'm painting with a broad brush and the era had its flaws like any other, but there are positive traits which that generation exemplified which I think are in danger of being lost. Glad there are others who in general seem to sense the same thing.

 

[sheeplady]

This thread is just wonderful, thank you for sharing.

I don't know where it started, if it started for me. I've always loved history and was particularly interested in people's lives. For instance, I was always more interested in learning about the home front than the front lines during the wars. I've also always been very "domestic" (I like to sew, decorate, bake, cook, garden anything to do with the home). I'd like to think I am pretty good at it too, and that is something I think was appreciated back then.

I think I asked my mother for my first hat (someday I will post a picture, it is a treasure to me) when I was 12. I started collecting rhinestone jewerly then too. Before that I had asked for Molly doll from the American Girl collection. I made a Victorian walking dress, an 1812 Dolly Madison Dress, and a 1920s flapper dress in high school. When I was 14 I asked my mother to buy me a 1940s suit pattern from Amazon Dry Goods, to which she replied, "Why would you ever need a suit? I haven't seen anyone wear one in years."

My father, whose taste is Art Noveau and Colonial has always made fun of my taste in Art Deco and Victorian. I've also always had a fondness for mission as well, and I requested mission-inspired furniture for my first real apartment (my father built me several pieces, including a small bookcase and a TV stand). My parents always watched old movies and TV shows. I would always say: "Ohh! Look at those ladies' hats! Why don't ladies dress like that everyday!" Even when I was in elementary school. I've always had a thing for hats, I love hats.

A few years ago I found out online how ladies rolled their hair (thank you to anyone who ever posted a tutorial- anyplace), and started wearing my hair like that on occasion. Since finding the lounge (and joining) I've starting wearing my stuff everday. You ladies and gents made me gutsy!

 

[NikkiSweet]

When my great grandma died we had to go through photos to decide what was going to be in a collage for her funeral and I saw my grandma as a pretty little young thing in what i'm going to take a stab in the dark and say was the 40s based on the hair and fashion plus she was in Hawaii with her then husband my great grandfather (whom I never knew) indicating he might have been stationed in Pearl Harbor (The history of my great grandma is a bit fuzzy my mom won't talk about it much). She was on top of her husbands car with a Lei around her neck like a sweet little pin up girl. Then there were photos of her and her next husband who I know as my great grandfather dancing and sitting in a car going on a date, sitting in the country... it was a "The Notebook" love story in photos and that's how I fell in love with Vintage and the Golden era. I loved my great grandma and grandpa so much and still do. I remember grandma always asking my mom to put her hair into pin curls for her using dippity do and grandpa always talking about flying his planes in the war. When I watched "The Notebook" it totally was uncanny how the story reminded me of my great grandparents just the way both characters acted theywere totally my grandparents I hope to have a love like there's someday. They quarreled a lot and at the end of the day grandpa would do anything for my grandma Mary he always took care of her.

 

[Gregg Axley]

I was brought up (mostly) by the ideals my grandparents had. As a result of that, I knew to say "yes sir" and "yes maam" to everyone, open doors for the ladies, gain a reputation in my career due to a work ethic that few have, etc. My father loved classic comedians such as Laurel & Hardy and The Marx Brothers (although Karl never really had the gift he was just along for the ride). I would watch them with him and came to love the jokes, and the great acting. Oddly enough, as a teen I'd watch Masterpiece Theater with Alistar Cooke as the host. LOL Then when AMC came on, my grandparents had cable, and we'd watch movies together. LSS, the internet has been a great tool for researching actors, directors, writers, etc, as well as the styles during the golden era. I'm slowly but surely learning why so many people loved it, even though I still embrace my past of heavy metal music!

 

[Rats Riley]

Coming from a single parent household, I also was brought up mostly by my grandparents. My Grandpa was a factory worker and lived by a working class ethic. He also maintained the style he lived with. After he died I dressed the way I did out of necessity rather than choice. Cuffed jeans because they were bought larger so I could get more wear out of them. Eventually I wore what I wanted, yet still slicked my hair until Uncle Sam cut it all off. But when I got home I found that everything old became new again. Go figure!

I also grew up watching classic movies like "The Road" movies with Hope and Crosby, The Marx Brothers, Topper and the Thin Man, Abbott and Costello! Hell I even remember watching the classic horror movies like Dracula and The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Then there was the classic serials like Rocket Man and Flash Gordon!

What can I say, it was Grandpa's house and we watched what he wanted to see! God I miss that guy!

 

[MissChloeCorville]

Gee, this one is kinda a tricky question. Evr since I was little I mean like four or.five, ive watched I love lucy. My mother and aunt watchwd it almost everyday, thus I fell in love with the show! Loving clothing also from an early age, I became obsessed with lucille balls look. From then on I watched her movies then found out about different actors and actresses started to watch more and more films from the twenties thru early sixties. So I would have to put all the "blame" hehe on lucy. Plus, I feel lkke its something that I was born to love. _Chloe

 

[Deco-Doll-1928]

I can relate to so many people here on this thread.

I think it all started with music for me (Glenn Miller mostly) and a fascination with Veronica Lake. For a long while, I really wanted to look like her! I loved her hair.

Little by little, my interest in the Golden Era grew. I credit this to my love of history as well. As a young girl, I used to make "newspapers". Front page news was stories from over 60 years ago! lol

When I was a teenager, I became very interested in old movie serials like Flash Gordon. I also remember watching Them! on a vacation in Palm Springs one time. It terrified me then, but now I find it kind of amusing.

Over the years, I have watched movies like The Day the Earth Stood Still, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, and laughing my head off at Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space. (I've been interested in Outer Space since I was a kid, so that might explain the space theme)

I also liked Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo and Radio Days.

My most recent favorite "retro movie" is Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. I really fell in love with that film. Mostly for the fact that I really liked Shirley Henderson's hairstyle in the film, I am jealous of Amy Adams' wardrobe (I have been obsessed with that blue hat she wears in the film!), and I am in love with Lee Pace.

I also started getting interested in watching old Universal Horror films like Frankenstein and Dracula. I also enjoy the comedies of Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton.

I think my love of old architecture has also helped. It makes me appreciate history even more and the world around me. I hate to admit this, but for a brief while I was turned off by history because my awful history teachers in college. They made me hate it for a while, but my love of architecture (and art) got me back on the right track. Plus, I got into Art Deco because of it.

I've always been interested in old family stories and looking at old family photographs. It gives you a better sense of identity.

My eras of interest are mostly the 20s and 30s. Although, I am slowly going backwards as I go. I am completely fascinated by the turn of the century. That to me seems like when cities were in their infancy. New things were being discovered and heroes were being made. Although thanks to Boardwalk Empire, I'm going back to being keen on the 20s again.

Fashion is huge with me. I didn't start getting seriously interested in fashion until around the end of high school. Then I started identifying with all the fashions of yesteryear. My interest in vintage fashion goes from the turn of the century to about the 1960s. I remember when Swing became fashionable in the 90s. One of my friends in high school and her friends were very into it. I always thought they looked so amazing. I never developed the style myself then (even though I wish I did), but when it came to music, I was so there! I am absolutely crazy about hats, bags, and jewelry. I love the clothes too, but my wallet is not going to support too much of that right now. lol

I think this might be thanks to my Dad, but I have become very interested in vintage planes, cars, and trains over the years. I love to examine them and see how they are made and how they work. My Dad told me when he was a kid, he liked to take things apart and see how things work. I guess I might have gotten that from him. I am always trying to closely examine things. Look at the machinery, how the gears move, or looking at the craftsmanship.

I first became aware of the Fedora Lounge when I started researching things ("What in heck do you call this?"). When my friends couldn't answer it, you guys did! So thank you to everyone here that helped with that! It's kind of interesting that I joined the Fedora Lounge the same time I became a member of the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles.

I think my journey of all things vintage will be a wonderful journey that never ends. There's always something interesting to be learned and more surprises along the way.

Sorry for blabbing so much. I told you guys that I talk too much sometimes. I'll put the duct tape back on to my mouth again.

 

[Diamondback]

No need for that, DD28--it just means that you can hold up your end of a conversation a little better than some of us.

 

[Deco-Doll-1928]

No need for that, DD28--it just means that you can hold up your end of a conversation a little better than some of us.

lol! Thanks Diamondback! Sometimes, I feel that I can express myself better online than I can with my own voice. Maybe these threads make up for that.

 

[Diamondback]

I hear ya, DD--if you were sitting here across the table from me, I'd collapse in on myself and devolve to a stammering milquetoast unless you drew me out on a subject I have confidence in my own knowledge of.

 

[Deco-Doll-1928]

Sometimes, I blank out when I talk. I'm always saying to people, "What was I talking about?" lol!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Thank God I'm not the only one!

Sometimes, I blank out when I talk. I'm always saying to people, "What was I talking about?" lol!

 

[Taz-man]

My fascination started when I talked to my grandfather everyday about his childhood during the early1900s. Then after my grandparents died, my father and I cleaned out the old house. There were all kinds of items from the 1920s to about the 1960s. I also never felt like I fit in with the kids from my generation and I always felt at ease with talking to people from that generation. I was always mature for my age.

 

[Gray Ghost]

My parents since they were from the era.

=GG=

 

[TCMfan25]

My late Grandfather, although he was born in 1937 England he had become a major history/film/jazz/hat encyclopedia. He grew up during the 40's and 50's so he got a taste of the Golden Era. From when I was about three to when I was nine in 2006 when he died, we read war books, watched old Fred Astaire and Humpfrey Bogart films, he showed me giant Esquire books, old magazines from the 50's, he also sparked my interest in firearms and weaponry of the Golden Era and prior (he was an AVID gun collector, well he collected everything). I have some of his guns (see show us your guns), books, 78s, antique canes, films, maps, clocks, hats, books, knives, swords, fountain pens, watches etc. (he collected EVERYTHING!). Yup, The Golden Era has been a life long passion for me thanks to Granddad . Now at 15 I wish he was still here so I could have a serious conversation about TGE and other things, but now its my job to spread the passion.

 

[TCMfan25]

He also taught me how to dress when I was four, never looked back! Every Christmas since I have asked for suitings, shirtings, shoes, hats, ties, etc. I was the cute little kid that wore suits lol, now I am the teenager that makes the best first impressions.

 

[flat-top]

Hmm, I wonder why I never posted in this thread...
Anyway, my interest started in my teens, when I was obsessed with the Stray Cats. Their music and style sent me looking for the things that influenced them. I had a giant pompadaur, and was fully entrenched in the 50's.
As I got older, my interests turned to the 1940's. Along the way I amassed an enormous vintage clothing collection, so my involvelment in that world really turned the whole "Golden Era" thing into my true lifestyle.
My current interests are now even earlier 20th Century clothing and style.
So at 41, I guess I've been fascinated with The Golden Era for more than half my life.

 

[Rats Riley]

Hmm, I wonder why I never posted in this thread...
Anyway, my interest started in my teens, when I was obsessed with the Stray Cats. Their music and style sent me looking for the things that inluenced them. I had a giant pompadaur, and was fully entrenched in the 50's.
As I got older, my interests turned to the 1940's. Along the way I amassed an enormous vintage clothing collection, so my involvelment in that world really turned the whole "Golden Era" thing into my true lifestyle.
My current interests are now even earlier 20th Century clothing and style.
So at 41, I guess I've been fascinated with The Golden Era for more than half my life.

Yeah! What he said!

I'll also add the fact that without Dad around, my style came from Grampa. While many kids were trying to dress like the guys from Defleopard, Survivor, even Michael Jackson...(Yeah you guys remember the flight pants and the sleeveless British flag shirts!) I cuffed my jeans because they were always a size too big so I could get more wear out of them, and I even took to wearing grandpas hand me downs and some of his short sleeve khaki uniform shirts from WWII. He was a little guys so they fit. I didn't complain since I had others shirts to add to the rotation. Goodwill was also a Godsend and the wares from there was far from trendy!

 

[Steven180]

I don’t think there ever was a seminal moment that I realized an affinity with the Golden Era, the lure seemed to exist naturally as I always remember being fascinated in that time period. I have forever felt that I was born in the wrong generation as I seemed to be drawn to anything and everything concerning the 30’s and 40’s throughout life.

As a military brat living in 1980s West Germany, the history of the Second World War inspired my study of the European Theater while I was very young. The consequences of WWII set the stage for the Cold War, of which we were very much a part of, and I was taught to recognize that. Understanding the 40s and seeing how its results stood in stark contrast to the present period also provided a level of nostalgia for those days. It’s difficult to understand what occurred during WWII without having respect and admiration for everything our nation sacrificed and succeeded in. How the U.S grew out of the Depression, faced, and met, challenges afar, and then had the foresight to prepare post war society for the future are likely the most significant accomplishments for the U.S. since our revolution.

However, those things Golden all just seem right too; the music, story line radio, the classic style, art deco architecture, the simplicity of living, and the innocence were all captivating traits that have meant something to me. That generation had traits that were lost to most in the last 50 years. People had respect for others and for themselves. Usually never too busy to help with something, and rarely strayed from doing what was right. They didn’t waste anything as most had known having very little. They understood the importance of community as the challenges affected every level of society and affected the whole as well. People actually came together in town to watch a movie, and knew one another...you knew your neighbor.

I am grateful for this forum and being able to read, and interact with those that are so much like minded. Appreciate and respect all of your stories.

M.

 

[Treetopflyer]

I am in the same boat as a lot of people that have posted. As a kid I always liked the time period of the 40’s and 50’s. My parents would listen to 50’s and 60’s music all the time since that was the time period of their teenage years. As far back as I can remember I always enjoyed movies from the 30’s and 40’s. I love W.C. Fields, Mae West, and the Marx Brothers. As a teenager I was the only one that I knew of that was watching those sorts of films. I felt “comfortable” with that era. I have always liked vintage and classic styles in everything from clothes to cars. I have always had a fascination with WWII Naval Aviation, thus my current career. I once had this guy tell me that I was Navy pilot during the war in a past life. He was strange but he seemed to have a sixth sense about him.