Bessie Smith

_Elsa_

Tiffi finds some information on Bessie Smith who was a pioneer in the music industry. 

“Bessie Smith was a pioneer in music and a pioneer in the plight of the American women. She sang about drinking, drugs, alcohol, sex, and even bisexuality. As the African American female wrote and sang about blasphemous topics, America’s shocked audiences grew to love her. A superstar for her time, Bessie Smith traveled with a 40-person crew in her show, her own personal train car, and pulled in an unheard of sum of $2,000 a week from her show.

Her over the top, frivolous style has become iconic for the 1920’s. She sported large feathers, jewels, and extravagant beaded dresses, demonstrating the excessive culture at the time. Bessie Smith’s shows were all about the glamour, the entertainment, and the show stopping performances. Jazz was all about pushing the limits of society and music, and Bessie Smith perfectly represented that.” (Info from here) 

Tiffi finds this very interesting and makes a note to come back to research more on her. Then she comes across some strange art deco images. This catches her eye, so she reads this one article. 

Let's continue with the next part of our story – 1920s Art Deco

Start at the beginning – Preparing for the Twins Day Festival