Story+Time


 * Below are fictional stories written to help the reader better understand style and architecture between 1920-1940. **

Story by Jillian Fagan
 * //Frank Lloyd Wright //**

Click. Clack. I was sitting at my desk trying to think of something to write for my history paper. I needed to write about an important person I was related to. I walked downstairs into my kitchen and found my mom looking through old family photos. “Hey Mom, who could I write about for my history paper? It has to be about someone in our family that is or was important.” “How about your Great-Great Uncle Frank Lloyd Wright. He was a famous architect!” “Uhm, I don’t know. Who is Frank Lloyd Wright?” “He was a famous architector during the early 1900’s. Frank Lloyd Wright developed the theory "Form and Function Are One." In 1932, Wright opened his home up for young architects to study with him, creating the Taliesin Fellowship.. Frank Lloyd Wright designed 1141 homes and buildings. 409 of them still stand today. Frank Lloyd Wright had a international impact on modern architecture, influencing design styles not only in America, but also in Europe and Asia. He started from nowhere and brought himself to the top. His mother always knew he was going to be an architect. When he was about your age, he went to the University of Wisconsin as a special student. He never even went to school for architecture. I think I have some more pictures and papers about him! Maybe that can help? You could've learned a lot from him, except the fact that he had 3 wives and multiple girlfriends.” "That's perfect! Thanks Mom!" I couldn’t believe it. I was related to an amazing architect. All these years, I had no idea that someone so influential was in my family. I walked back up to my room and sat at my desk and typed my paper without any trouble. The next day, I read my paper out loud to my class and everyone was impressed by my cool family backround.

"The Great Depression left behind the Flapper look that my mom dressed as during the boom of the 1920s. Now, since we have little money, we can't afford all of the expensive, French designers like Chanel. I still want to look classy if I am going out, but with having some extra change in my pocket as well. The signature look of the flapper, flashy woman, was gone. An ageless, classy look, that can be reusible for a job or any type of ocassion is what I need. The mood now is to have a dress or a suit where I can easily accessorize with a cute scarf to hold back my hair, or a small purse and a hat. No more flappers, my mom says. No more flashy dresses that everyone could buy and go out every night. Now, it's something easily affordable and classy. It was all different before to great depression in the economy..." __ --- __
 * //Fashion: By Eva Meccia //**

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//I picked this journal up off the sidewalk, near the general store on Main Street today. Some may consider it stealing, but I couldn’t help myself. I think we all want to get our hands on everything we see these days, especially with the hardships we are all facing. I thought it might be a good way to relieve all my stress and depressed feelings I’ve been faced with lately. //=====

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//Today, I felt something that I have not felt in a long time. Lately the only thing I’ve been feeling is dark, depressed, and hopeless. But all that changed today. I walked with my son, Thomas, into town because there was talk of a breadline taking place on White Mill Road, off of Main Street, where I found this journal. As I was waiting on the unbearably long line, I took a moment to look around. Something came over me. I guess it was the first time, in a long time, that I really opened my eyes since my husband had lost his job. I can’t exactly put what it was I felt into words. Happiness? Relief? Excitement? Hope? But when I laid eyes on the colors, designs, architecture, and beauty of my town I became filled with joy. I heard the family in front of me refer to this modern design as “Art Deco”. //=====

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//It’s been so long since I’ve left my shack, or as some like to refer to it, “Hooverville”. But boy, have I been missing a lot. The minutes I took studying the fine colors and designs of everything I laid my eyes on, made me forget everything I had been previously feeling. All of the adversity in the world just disappeared. I saw people, just like me, purchasing candlesticks, jewelry, clothes, tableware, picture frames, vases, plates, mirrors, and everything else you could imagine. I questioned how they could pay for it, so I quickly left the bread line to check the price of these Art Deco items. I picked up an attractive white blouse; I couldn’t believe my eyes-- only $11.85! //===== //Sincerely, // //Sylvia Johnson //

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//As Thomas and I walked home, or to what we now call our shack, last week, I became determined to turn my life around. I am now, more than ever, ready to get a job. I want to be able to go into town, and buy endless items of Art Deco, without having to worry about the price. I told my husband, Robert, about this modern style and how much it inspired me. I have to say, he got pretty excited for the first time in a while too. //=====

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//He has now applied for a job through President Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration. Hopefully we will be able to find out sooner than later if he can start working again. We are even looking for Thomas to apply to the National Youth Administration. Even though he is two years too young, a little white lie couldn’t hurt. //===== //Sincerely, //

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//Great news! Robert got a job fixing up parks around New York and Pennsylvania. And I myself, received a job; sorting mail for the local post office. Unfortunately, the NYA found out the truth about Thomas’s real age and turned him down, but they did offer him to try again in a couple of years. //=====

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//I received my first paycheck yesterday, $36.98. It’s not much, but it’s a start. As you can imagine, I couldn’t help myself and stopped at one of the stores on the way home. I was tempted to purchase the blouse I had been eyeing, but I wanted something the whole family could appreciate. I ended up buying a little statue of a house. It was made up of bright and beautiful colors. And the door and window shutters were mad of little metal scraps. Running my fingers up and down the roof gave me the chills. My first piece of Art Deco, all for $6.00. //=====

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//I brought it home and explained the significance of it to my family. I told them that I chose the statue of the house so that every morning we can wake up, look at the house, and be inspired to go to work, so that one day we can buy an even bigger one to live in. //=====

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//Who would have thought that something as little as a colorful design would turn my whole life around? These days I can hold a smile on my face longer than ten seconds, even if I am as cold as the snow in the middle of January. I know that one day we can leave these hardships behind, and start over in a new home, that will look just like the one sitting on the table in our shack. //===== //<span style="color: #273162; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Sincerely, // //<span style="color: #273162; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Sylvia Johnson //

The World's Fair: By Ryan Hanigan

Hey Dad, what's that World's Fair I keep hearing about?

Well Son, it's this really big event that supposed to show people what the future will look like and hopefully get people happy during the Depression.

Ooooo can we go? Can we go?

Sure buddy, what do you wanna see there?

I want to see the Westinghouse Time Capsule! You know, where they put all that stuff from our time in it so the future people can see how we lived? And let's see those TVs everyone is talking about! They sound so cool!

Don't worry we'll see that. But what about the planetarium in the middle of the fair, do you wanna see that?

Of course I do! What about those huge structure things? What are they?

They're called the Trylon, Perisphere, and Helicline, they are very futuristic looking structures that I can't wait to see for myself!

Well Dad, I can't wait to see the World of Tomorrow with you!

Me neither, and the World of Tomorrow is just what we need, hopefully this time of despair will be over by then.