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Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Lanza Motor Co. -- Greenwich Village Girls." Somewhere under this mass of pulchritude is the Metz Master Six automobile. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
of the gal centre back straddling the hood. A "lady" still rode side-saddle in those days.
I have never seen such a well appointed car, though you can't really see much of the car. If I could get my time machine working, I would have to pay that lovely young lady on the far right a visit. I am hopelessly in love with her.
Front left. She is the one in charge.
The tires back then. Were they supposed to be bald with no tread? Also. The girls look genuinely happy without hard eyes, a rarity today. I fell in love with top left gal very very pretty!
Compared to the prim and proper ladies in our mysterious 1910 photo, these gals seem a century later in attitude, not merely 10 years.
For (an official) brief video on a recent show at the Galliera museum in Paris on clothing from the period 1919-29 "Les Annees Folles" (The Crazy Years), see here. Even if you don't speak French, you'll love the clothes. Emancipation!
Looking at all the pictures on this (excellent) web site - it strikes me that you don't see any obesity (save for that circus woman) anywhere.
Fast food? Sodas? No smoking? We drive everywhere now?
[Let's not forget "juice boxes." - Dave]
>> I wonder if that came across as gauche and unladylike, or just a girl with her buddies having fun.
I think just fun. The 1920s were a great era of liberation for women in particular and youth in general. Pop culture (radio, magazines), peace and prosperity made for one rollicking decade.
of these veiled ladies could have her way with me.
Front row left, gazing thoughtfully out to sea, seems to be the star of this photo, Bird Millman O'Day, a Ziegfeld and Ringling Brothers high-wire performer who appeared in the Greenwich Village Follies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_Millman
http://genealogyimagesofhistory.com/images3/Bird-Millman.jpg
These gals look genuinely happy to be there! Love the girl in the back, I don't see her as graceless at all!
I'd like the lady on the bumper, to our right. She reminds me of the Good Witch, Glenda.
Oh, what a fun confection of hats. Although one must tsk at the rather graceless sprawl of the miss in the middle. I wonder if that came across as gauche and unladylike, or just a girl with her buddies having fun. (It's always so hard to tell who's at the age of accountability to the Powers That Be.)
Well, if they're going to ride in a car like that, maybe the netting is to keep the bugs out of their teeth.
The Automobile -- December 9, 1915
Page 1051
The Metz Co., Waltham Mass., has placed on the market three types of delivery cars in addition to its roadster and touring car. All are on a 25-hp, chassis , model A, having an express body selling for $475, with prest-o-lite tank and oil side and tail lamps. Model B is the same except that it has Gray & Davis starting and lighting and sells for $525. Models C and D correspond to models A and B, respectively, except that they have roll side curtains, model C listing a $525 and model D listing at $575 model E uses the Gray & Davis electric system and has a closed delivery type body. it sells for $600.
Hey, "pulchritude," it's a nice word. It's been some time since I heard it. I'll think of using it once in a while.
I'm glad that netting went out of style a long time ago. The women wearing veils here appear as either feline, at best, or suffering with some form of acne.
So the Master Six seats Seven Misses.
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