Cultural Changes During The Progressive Era

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The Progressive Era was a time of change, not only in politics and government, but in culture as well. It was a period characterized by increased consumer dependence due to the surge in manufacturing, modernized industries, and aggressive marketing towards the masses. Certain consumer goods, such as the radio and the motion picture camera to name a few, helped define the Progressive era and create cultural change throughout the United States. During the Progressive era, new goods were being created and circulated throughout the country. This period was considered a “Consumer Goods Revolution” as it improved the quality of industrialization, urbanization, and technology *(Dockswell). Consumer goods—such as movies, cars, radios, and cameras—were…show more content…
The rise of communication technology allowed for information to be distributed to large masses at one time. The motion picture camera, for example, was patented in the early 1890s by Thomas Edison, and enabled consumers to receive information collectively* (Dockswell). The radio, as well, allowed for communication to become widespread. However, with information being distributed at a faster pace and to a wider audience, cultural perceptions began to change. Hollywood actors who starred in films were idolized and glorified, and people began to envy them* (Dockswell). Perceptions of how men and women should look and behave began to change to meet the standards these Hollywood actors had set. The “snapshot” camera also created cultural change. At the turn of the century, mainstream curiosities arose about Native American cultures. In 1900, photographer Edward Curtis took hundreds of photos of over 80 Native American tribes, in order to “capture the variety and richness of Native American cultures before they completely disappeared” *(textbook). The camera allowed Curtis to record a culture entirely different than his own and expose it to the masses, and he composed his work in a “multivolume ethnographic project entitled The North American Indian” *(textbook). Radio as well created cultural change. During the 19th century, music was often slow and formal, but with the invention of the phonograph,…show more content…
Cubism was developed in the early 1900s and was seen most often in paintings by the infamous Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) and Georges Braque (1882-1963)* (Dockswell). Cubism is defined as the distortion and of shape and space that are “transformed into different views” and is considered one of the most significant art styles of the 20th century. *(Dockswell). In the 1920s, Cubism eventually lead to the beginning of a bizarre form of art known as surrealism* (Dockswell). Salvador Dali (1904-1989) was known for using surrealism to create strange yet intriguing paintings, such as The Persistence of Memory (1931), which is one of his most infamous works. These new works of art were significant as they portrayed the momentous problems occurring in the U.S. at the time of their creation (early 20th century), and it was a creative way of informing the people of these problems. Many surrealist and cubist artists created art that required the audience to interpret the overall meaning of the painting. Cubism and surrealism was just another medium in which information was received by the American

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