Life in the 1920s | 10 Short Youtube Videos

Do you ever wonder what life was like before the radio? Before television? As a novelist (of the historical fiction kind) my research takes me back a hundred years and it is pretty fascinating. The roaring twenties started out with a bang and ended with the stock market crashing. So much advancement happened in the twenties . . . then, devastation.

But hey, you didn’t come to this post to hear me ramble on, you came to see some cool 1920s YouTube videos. Find ten of my favourites below, plus a bonus video with number six (I’ve done my best to select family friendly ones).

Enjoy!

1. Farmlife in the 1920s

You might appreciate your glass of water a little more after watching this video.

2. 1920s Farmhouse Kitchen

This video made me so grateful for my air conditioning in the summer.

3. Electricity and Appliances in the 1920s

It took a little for rural communities, but in the 1920s electricity became pretty affordable for city homes.

4. The Model T Ford

This video is so much fun to watch! Part of me would love to drive a Model T, the other part doesn’t think I’m coordinated enough. I’ll settle for having this car in my 1920s historical novel, I think.

5. Canada in the 1920s (actual footage)

Most of the videos I found were from the USA. The stories I write, however, are based in Canada so I’m thrilled when I come across videos featuring my country. This one is just over a minute long.

6. Sears Houses – Kit Houses Sold by Sears, Roebuck, 1908-1940

That’s right. From 1908-1940 you could mail order your home from Sears (the department store). The reason Sears got into building homes, according to this video, was to sell what went IN the homes. I liked this video for the view into the homes, as well as the decor.

And a bonus video to show what it’s like to live current day in a Sears catalog home from 1928. This home was the second most expensive home in the catalog at $3727 USD. It was basically an ikea idea. You get all the pieces of your home, numbered, delivered by train. Watch this fun, more current, video. Super fun.

7. Advertising in the 1920s

Adverting for Coca Cola, Wheaties, Sears, Ford cars . . . and a bit on credit cards, stock markets and the stock market crash of 1929.

8. 6 Nov 1928 – Kitty Gordon’s NY Fashion Show

I could not see much of the bride’s dress at the end of this 1920s fashion show, her bouquet was HUGE!

9. History Brief: Radio in the 1920s

You don’t have a radio? Find someone who has one for a radio party!

The radio had sceptics in the beginning. Concerns were that it would corrupt people, make them lazy, and not value information as much since it would be too easily accessible. They have a point, perhaps. I wonder what they would think of google today.

10. Teen life in the 1920s | Further Back in Time for Dinner

Oh, this one is so fun and a good one to wrap up with. This clip is from Australia’s show ‘Further Back in Time for Dinner’, and I think it’s quite similar to how things were in Canada in the decade as well. Super fun, super interesting. Have fun watching:

If you got to this point, you must be a fan of the 1920s. Which video was your favourite? What’s a 1920s topic you’d like to see a post about? Drop me a comment.

Oh, and sign up for my newsletter below to receive a complimentary short story, based in (you guessed it) the 1920s. Thanks for taking a look at these fun videos I came across in my research!