Progressivism

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16444966

John Elfreth Watkins wrote an article in an  Americans women's magazine with many predictions. He predicted that there would be digital color photography, Americans height would rise, there would be mobile phones, pre- pared meals, population growth would slow, there would be tv's and tanks, there would no longer be the letters C, Q, or X, everyone would walk 10 miles a day, and that there would be no mosquitos or flies. Many of what he predicted did come to fruition, but there were some that seem unattainable or even ridiculous still to us today. A lot of these predictions seem like "wish- list" items, but others like slowing population growth can be seen as a warning. 


http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2014/12/10-predictions-of-21st-century-life-from-50-years-ago/

Arthur Clarke prediction that dolphins and apes would be "engineered to become more useful, the next generation of domestic servants." He also predicted that humans would bring birth to a new generation for tech and mechanical evolution.In the 1930s fashion designers made predictions about fashion trends. Some said skirts "were a trend of the past and women will wear trousers." Isaac Asimov predicted that students would be able to be educated through televisions and pre- recorded tapes. The Associated Press published a list of predictions for 2000. This list included the adaption of work intensive jobs and that the work force would be better run, and there would be less class struggle. President Harry S. Truman predicted that there would be world peace and that there would be a mutual agreement on atomic an nuclear weapons. Many of these predictions did come true, and for the most part it was the people looking at the future as a better place. Arthur Clarke's predictions did appear as a warning because he talks about the technological uprising. 


http://www.upworthy.com/11-ridiculous-future-predictions-from-the-1900-worlds-fair-and-3-that-came-true


Homework: 
 How much control over the future do we have?  What role do you see for individuals, governments, institutions, or other kinds of groups, or other factors, in shaping what happens in the future?



I believe we have more control over the future then in previous years. We have such an abundance and variety of materials that are so easily accessed, that we can easily control how the future could potentially end up. We can choose to make more technically advanced machines and potentially have a better material life, but with the risk of having a robotic world. Because of this possible future, I do think that people are really putting in as much thought and work as we could in fear of this. Instead everyones just going through the motions from the direction of "the boss."I think overall, there will continue to be more and more groups of people focusing on something and breaking off until the world is essentially just a bunch of small groups keeping to themselves, but opposing each other at the same time. 

Changes in Entertainment

Throughout the late nineteenth century and into the early twentieth century, entertainment and leisure became a large part of everyone’s lives. Because of cut work days, many people found themselves with time to have a social life, and unheard of thing until then. Urbanization caused many franchises to go across the United States, and new businesses open. A large rise in amusement parks, movie theaters, and shows resulted because of the high demand for entertainment.  

New York Metropolitan Opera House

Nickelodeon theaters were the most common type of theater. They were called nickelodeon theaters because admission would cost a nickel. (Encyclopedia Britannica). The theaters would play one to two shows a day continuously. “By 1910 they numbered 10,000, fueling a huge demand for silent films and projection equipment.” Because of the rise in films and filmmaking, the National Board of Censorship of Motion pictures, later renamed the National Board of Review, was created to ensure that movies were appropriate for the whole family. The National Board of Review was created in 1909 “originally founded to protest New York City Mayor George B. McClellan, Jr.’s revocation of movie picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908” (Nationalboardofreview.org).

Nickelodeon Theatre 

With the change in leisure many pubs and saloons, previously just for men became more socially appropriate for women as well. With men and women able to be in the same club or bar, single people with out dates could hire a “taxi dancer” to dance with while at these events. As well as more opened saloons came nicer restaurants. Hotel dining, and new and old restaurants made renovations to them to make them nicer and more pleasing to dine in.

Taxi- Dancer on the Dance Floor

Another form of entertainment was vaudevilles. They were used for light entertainment containing 10 to 15 individual unrelated acts. These acts could be magicians, acrobats, comedians, trained animals, dancers and singers. From the start vaudevilles were mainly aimed at men, but in the late 1890s it became more for the family. Tony Pastor who wanted “straight, clean shows” (Encyclopedia Britannica) headed this change. 

Children Acts in a Vaudeville

Many people spent their leisure time with each other and people watching. Between 1880 and 1890 the amusement park on Coney Island was built. The park included rides, vaudevilles, game booths, and movie theatres. Because of the popularity of Coney Island, many other people looked at it for inspiration to open other amusement parks in other parts on the country. "Park operators explicitly targeted courting couples and families and discouraged lone male" (JSTOR).One park was Water Shuts in Chicago. This park was designed by Paul Boyton and was open from 1894 to 1907.  Because of the success Water Chutes had, Pau Boyton opened a water park on Coney Island named “Sea Lion World,” that would change its name to Luna Park (Livinghistoryofillinois.com)

Coney Island

Works Cited

Mohun, Arwen P. “Designed for Thrills and Safety: Amusement Parks and the Commodification of Risk, 1880-1929.” Journal of Design History, vol. 14, no. 4, 2001, pp. 291–306. www.jstor.org/stable/3527258.

Rosenbloom, Nancy J. “Between Reform and Regulation: The Struggle over Film Censorship in Progressive America, 1909-1922.” Film History, vol. 1, no. 4, 1987, pp. 307–325. www.jstor.org/stable/3814986.

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<https://www.britannica.com/art/vaudeville>.

"National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Records." THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY ARCHIVES & MANUSCRIPTS. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Feb. 2017. <http://archives.nypl.org/mss/2100#bioghist>.

"PAUL BOYTON'S WATER CHUTES PARK, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 1894-1907." Livinghistoryofillinois.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Feb. 2017.