Morgan Prybys

HUMN 1210
Cultural Assignment
1/26/16
From 1900 to 1940, a lot of changes were occurring in the busy streets of New York City.
Many famous buildings were beginning their construction, new ages of music and new iconic
voices began to sprout up. The progressive era was just beginning, new train stations and bridges
opening, and the peak of European immigration. Things were just beginning to change and
reform to fit the future generations. It was the start of the early modern art movement that would
change the style of 19th century art into the art we know and create today. New York was a very
crowded and busy city that was quickly changing and would soon go through the Great
Depression which help to inspire new forms of music and art.
During the 1900s to the 1940s architecture and the construction of buildings
began to become a competition. Several buildings were designed to be taller than the last one
built and thus the New York City skyline began to change. Skyscrapers were beginning to be
constructed and the challenge to build the tallest skyscraper in the world began. The Empire
State Building was composed by Williams F. Lamb, who was the chief designer, along with
Shieve and Harrison. The main drive to build it was a competition between Walter Chrysler of
Chrysler automotive and John Jakob Raskob of General Motors. The competition was to see who
could build the tallest skyscraper in the world. The Empire State Building is located at 350 on 5th
Avenue and took the spot of the Astoria Hotel that was demolished so that they infamous
building could begin construction. The construction of the building started March 17th 1930 and
was completed on May 1st 1931. The buildings architectural style is considered an art-deco
building because of its bold lines, symmetry, and motifs. The Empire State Building is comprised
of lime stone, granite and aluminum. At the time of its construction it was believed that the
future wave of transportation would be lighter than air-air crafts. So the addition on top of the

Morgan Prybys
HUMN 1210
Cultural Assignment
1/26/16
building was believed to be able to function as a place where airship passengers could land. It
was figured that the passengers would get off at the very top floor and take an elevator down to
the 86th floor and pick up their luggage on the observation deck. They could then take the
elevator all the way down to 5th avenue and their arrival would be estimated to take only seven
minutes. As we know now, this never actually happened but is a very cool concept.
Another big part of life in New York from the 1920s through the 1930s, were the plays
and musicals that take place on Broadway. The United States was just beginning to go through
the world of politics and the new generation of actors and audiences were pushing for operas and
more Western Style Theater. Many changes were taking place both on and off the stage in New
York during this time including the first decade to see blacks taking lead roles in the previously
all white productions. During this time the operetta was becoming less popular and out of date
however the play Rose Marie, was thriving. The lyrics were comprised by Aurthur Hammerstein,
Oscar Hammerstein, and Ottor Harbach. The music was written by Rudolf Friml. The plot was
about the wrongly accused murder of the villain by his mistress that was then used as blackmail
to make the mistress love her ex-boyfriend again so he would keep her safe. She later finds out
that the ex-boyfriend was the killer and reveals him at their wedding so that she can marry her
true love. During the time in which this play was written there was a push to stray away from
operettas but this one succeeded due to its interesting and plot twisting story. The play was so
successful that years after its end on Broadway it was revived as well as made into a silent film.
New York City was booming with new theaters and clubs where young actors, actresses,
and singers could show off their talent to try and make themselves famous as well as successful.
The Jazz age took place during the roaring twenties, it was time of jazz, blues, and flapper girls

Morgan Prybys
HUMN 1210
Cultural Assignment
1/26/16
being wildly popular. Many of the biggest names got their start by singing in small clubs until
they either got famous through their performances at the clubs or met a producer to make an
album with. One of the most famous singers of that time is Ella Fitzgerald who was an American
jazz and song vocalist. She became popular by playing in one of the most famous clubs of that
time, The Savoy. Ella then released an album including the song A-Tisket A-Tasket. The song is
based off of a nursery rhyme that Ella and Van Alexander embellished with their own lyrics. The
song became a huge hit with the Chick Webb orchestra in 1938. Many of the jazz songs created
during the twenties and thirties were written with an upbeat tempo so that they could easily be
danced to at clubs and bars. A-Tisket A-Tasket became Ella Fitzgeralds first number one hit.
New York City was growing wildly fast and changing even faster during the 1900s to the
1940s. Broadway was becoming more and more popular making New York known, even today,
as one of the biggest theater districts in the world where many aspiring actors and actresses still
go for a shot to perform. The Jazz age had begun and soon clubs and bars would be swooned
with new singers hoping for a chance to make it big. With all of this growth in New York many
new and now iconic buildings were made to keep up with the rapid growth and development of
the city. Art is all over New York and everywhere else, even if we dont personally recognize it
as art. Art comes in many forms in many different cultures and is of the upmost importance for
expression of feelings and emotions.

Morgan Prybys
HUMN 1210
Cultural Assignment
1/26/16
Works Cited:
A&E Networks. History.com. May 1st 2015. Website
Kurt Ganzi. Operetta-Ressearch-Center.org. January 1st, 2001. Website.
Robert Rusie. Talkingbroadway.com. Website.
Unknown. Biography.com/EllaFitzgerald. Website.