Best 1910s 1920s
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Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans is a 1927 romantic drama directed by F.W. Murnau. The film depicts a farmer’s attraction to a city woman, complicated by her attempt to incite him to harm his wife. It utilized Movietone's synchronized sound-on-film process with a musical score and sound effects, based...
The Phantom Carriage is a 1921 Swedish silent horror film based on Selma Lagerlöf's novel. It tells the story of David Holm, who faces consequences after a night of heavy drinking following New Year’s Eve. Utilizing expressionist techniques and featuring performances by Victor Sjöström, the film exp...
Bill Tilden (1893–1953) was an American tennis player who dominated men's singles during the 1920s. He won ten Grand Slam singles titles, including seven victories at the United States Championships, and also captured titles at Wimbledon and the World Hard Court Championships. Tilden was ranked the...
The Circus, directed by Charlie Chaplin, portrays the circumstances surrounding a struggling circus ringmaster’s employment of the Little Tramp. Al Ernest Garcia plays the ringmaster who finds the silent film star's attempts at humor unsuccessful. The cast includes Merna Kennedy and Henry Bergman al...
Dziga Vertov’s *The Man with a Movie Camera* (1929) is a groundbreaking Soviet silent film. It presents an urban landscape of Moscow through continuous shots and innovative editing techniques, rejecting traditional narrative structures. The film's notable experimentation influenced documentary filmm...
Louis Armstrong’s *Hot Fives and Hot Sevens* (1925) is a foundational jazz recording. Released on Okeh Records, it showcases Armstrong's innovative trumpet playing and harmonic explorations during the Dixieland era. The collection features influential arrangements and demonstrates his developing imp...
The Passion of Joan of Arc portrays the historical trial and execution of Joan of Arc, filmed by Carl Theodor Dreyer in 1928. Renée Jeanne Falconetti delivers a central performance as Joan, captured during her captivity with England. The film’s production is considered a significant achievement with...
"La Voz del Siglo" is a compilation album featuring the recorded works of Pastora Pavón, a prominent Spanish flamenco cantaora known by the stage name Niña de los Peines. Active from the early 20th century, Pavón was renowned for her mastery of various palos (flamenco styles), including tangos, bule...
Introduced in 1925 by Ernst Leitz Wetzlar, the Leica I Model A was the first commercially successful 35mm camera. It utilized standard 35mm motion picture film but advanced it horizontally, producing a 24x36mm frame format that became the industry standard. The camera featured a fixed lens and a foc...
Sherlock Jr. is a 1920s American silent comedy featuring Buster Keaton. The film’s innovative “dream sequence” where Keaton seemingly enters a movie screen made it a significant achievement in cinematic technique. It’s notable for its ambitious storytelling and visual effects, appealing to audiences...
Louis Armstrong’s *Hot Fives and Sevens* (1920s) represents a pivotal moment in jazz history. This Okeh Records album features Armstrong leading small ensembles exploring complex harmonies and innovative arrangements that profoundly influenced the development of swing music. It is notable for showca...
Emmerich Kálmán’s *Die Csárdásfürstin* is a significant operetta from 1915. This Viennese piece, premiered at the Johann Strauss Theater, showcases elements of romance and cabaret music typical of the era. It's notable for being considered Kálmán’s most commercially successful work and remains popul...
Nosferatu is a seminal 1922 German silent horror film. Directed by F.W. Murnau, it presents a chilling portrayal of Count Orlok, a vampire terrorizing a small village. Its innovative expressionist style and Max Schreck’s iconic performance established key elements of the vampire genre. The film rema...
Jay Gatsby is a central figure in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s *The Great Gatsby*, representing the allure and ultimate disillusionment of the American Dream. He meticulously constructs a lavish persona and extravagant parties to win back his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby's story explores themes of wea...
The Gold Rush is a 1925 silent comedy directed by Charlie Chaplin and featuring the Little Tramp character. It stars Chaplin alongside Georgia Hale and other cast members including Mack Swain and Tom Murray. The film was produced by Chaplin himself and explores comedic situations within a gold rush...
The Vampires is a 1915–1916 French silent crime serial directed by Louis Feuillade, consisting of ten episodes of varying lengths. The narrative follows the exploits of a ruthless Parisian criminal gang known as the Vampires, who are opposed by an investigative journalist. The serial is noted for it...
The Cassina LC2 Fauteuil Grand Confort, Petit Modèle, features a low, enveloping design with distinctive boomerang armrests and is constructed primarily of molded plywood and leather upholstery, reflecting mid-century modern aesthetics.
The Cassina LC4 Chaise Longue features a continuously adjustable backrest supported by four independently moving castors, offering customizable reclining comfort and a distinctive mid-century modern design aesthetic.
The Knoll Cesca chair, designed by Florence Knoll in 1945, is recognized for its gracefully curved plywood shell and molded plywood seat, offering a distinctive mid-century modern aesthetic often upholstered in luxurious fabrics.
The Knoll Wassilly Chair, designed by Lilly Reich in 1934, features a distinctive cantilevered seat supported by a gracefully curved, angled leg constructed from bent plywood and chrome, becoming an iconic piece of mid-century modern furniture.
The Knoll Barcelona Chair, designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1929, features a cast aluminum frame and leather upholstery, establishing itself as an iconic piece of modern furniture renowned for its minimalist elegance and sculptural form.
The Definitive Blind Willie McTell is a compilation album featuring recordings by the influential American Piedmont blues musician. McTell is recognized for his virtuosic 12-string guitar playing, clear tenor voice, and incorporation of ragtime stylings. The tracks, primarily recorded between the la...
Linocut by Cyril Power, c. 1929, depicting London Underground escalator passengers in vertiginous perspective; considered one of his most celebrated Grosvenor School works.
Battleship Potemkin is a 1925 Soviet silent film directed by Sergei Eisenstein. The narrative depicts the events surrounding a mutiny among the crew of the Russian battleship Potemkin in 1905, as dramatized by Mosfilm. It portrays a specific historical incident involving rebellion against naval offi...
Fanny Brice was an American illustrated-song model, comedienne, and stage and radio performer. She became prominent through the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1910s and 1920s, where she used parody, character comedy, and expressive singing. Her later career included the popular radio character Baby Snooks,...
The General is a 1926 silent film starring Buster Keaton. Based on a true Civil War incident, it portrays an audacious attempt to sabotage the Confederate railway. Keaton’s dual role as actor and director creates a unique blend of comedy and drama. The movie offers a fascinating glimpse into 1920s f...
The Golem: How He Came into the World is a 1920 German Expressionist silent film exploring Jewish folklore. Paul Wegener stars as a clay being brought to life, directed by Wegener alongside Carl Boese and based on Gustav Meyrink’s novel. Karl Freund later contributed to Hollywood horror productions.
Speed is a color linocut made by British artist Claude Flight around 1922. It depicts racing automobiles through repeated curves, compressed forms, and strong diagonals that convey mechanical motion rather than naturalistic detail. Flight later taught linocut at the Grosvenor School of Modern Art in...
The Docks of New York is a 1928 silent drama directed by Josef von Sternberg. Featuring George Bancroft, Betty Compson, and Olga Baclanova, it’s based on John Monk Saunders' short story, “The Dock Walloper,” and adapted for the screen by Jules Furthman. The film explores themes within the setting of...
Franz Lehár’s *Das Land des Lächelns* (The Land of Smiles) is a Viennese operetta composed in 1929. It features a romantic storyline set against the backdrop of China during the 1920s. The work gained widespread recognition through Richard Tauber's iconic aria, "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz," making it...
