The culture of "stunts" was a particular social oddity during the Jazz Age, and included such things as flagpole sitting and dance marathons, though simpler fare (sometimes characterized as jokes and frolics) were also part of this enduring ritual of silliness. Party favors often included fortunes, typically written in rhyming couplets or prose, as in this example taken from Elinor Moses' Stunt Book: "Oer a long-haired artist, you will lose your heart; you may wish to wed him; he's wedded to his art." Other party favors included trinkets and tricks to be performed. Later in the century, punch cards offered the same service, with rolled-up challenges waiting to be released upon the puncture of a pencil tip.

09.28.09     Comments (0)     digg | del.ic.io.us | reddit