Gay Nineties
Encyclopedia
Gay Nineties is an American nostalgic term that refers to the decade of the 1890s
. It is known in the UK as the Naughty Nineties, and refers there to the decade of supposedly decadent art by Aubrey Beardsley
, the witty plays and trial of Oscar Wilde
, society scandals and the beginning of the suffragette
movement.
The term, Gay Nineties, itself began to be used in the 1920s in the USA and is believed to have been created by the artist Richard V. Culter, who first released a series of drawings in Life
magazine entitled "the Gay Nineties" and later published a book of drawings with the same name. The high life of the "old money" families was well documented in the novels of, for example, Edith Wharton
, and Booth Tarkington
.
By the 1920s, the decade was nostalgically seen as a period of Pre-Income Tax
wealth for a newly emergent "society set". The railroads, the agricultural depression of the Southern United States
, and the dominance of the United States in South America
n markets and the Caribbean
meant that industrialists of New England
seemed to have been doing very well.
It was also the name of a nostalgic radio program in the 1930s, hosted by a prominent composer of popular songs of the 1890s, Joe Howard
. In the 1920s through the 1960s, filmmakers had a nostalgic interest in the 1890s, as can be seen in the films The Naughty Nineties
, She Done Him Wrong
, Belle of the Nineties
, The Nifty Nineties
, By the Light of the Silvery Moon
, and Hello, Dolly!
In reality, the Panic of 1893
set off a widespread economic depression in the United States that lasted until 1896.
The phrase has nothing to do with the term "gay" to refer to homosexuality, a usage that long postdates the phrase. A well-known gay bar
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
uses the phrase as its name.
1890s
The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the "Mauve Decade" - because William Henry Perkin's aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion - and also as the "Gay Nineties", under the then-current usage of the word "gay" which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no...
. It is known in the UK as the Naughty Nineties, and refers there to the decade of supposedly decadent art by Aubrey Beardsley
Aubrey Beardsley
Aubrey Vincent Beardsley was an English illustrator and author. His drawings, done in black ink and influenced by the style of Japanese woodcuts, emphasized the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. He was a leading figure in the Aesthetic movement which also included Oscar Wilde and James A....
, the witty plays and trial of Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
, society scandals and the beginning of the suffragette
Suffragette
"Suffragette" is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union...
movement.
The term, Gay Nineties, itself began to be used in the 1920s in the USA and is believed to have been created by the artist Richard V. Culter, who first released a series of drawings in Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
magazine entitled "the Gay Nineties" and later published a book of drawings with the same name. The high life of the "old money" families was well documented in the novels of, for example, Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton , was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, short story writer, and designer.- Early life and marriage:...
, and Booth Tarkington
Booth Tarkington
Booth Tarkington was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novels The Magnificent Ambersons and Alice Adams...
.
By the 1920s, the decade was nostalgically seen as a period of Pre-Income Tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
wealth for a newly emergent "society set". The railroads, the agricultural depression of the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, and the dominance of the United States in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n markets and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
meant that industrialists of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
seemed to have been doing very well.
It was also the name of a nostalgic radio program in the 1930s, hosted by a prominent composer of popular songs of the 1890s, Joe Howard
Joseph E. Howard
Joseph E. Howard was a Broadway composer, lyricist, and librettist. His Broadway credits include The District Leader, The Land of Nod and The Song Birds, The Time, the Place and the Girl, The Flower of the Ranch, The Girl Question, Stubborn Cinderella, The Goddess of Liberty, Maurice Chevalier in...
. In the 1920s through the 1960s, filmmakers had a nostalgic interest in the 1890s, as can be seen in the films The Naughty Nineties
The Naughty Nineties
The Naughty Nineties is a 1945 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is significant for containing perhaps the best-known recorded rendition of the team's classic "Who's on First?" routine, as it is this version of the routine that is shown at the National Baseball Hall of Fame...
, She Done Him Wrong
She Done Him Wrong
She Done Him Wrong is a Pre-Code 1933 Paramount Pictures comedy romance film starring Mae West and Cary Grant. Others in the cast include Owen Moore, Gilbert Roland, Noah Beery, Sr., Louise Beavers and Rochelle Hudson....
, Belle of the Nineties
Belle of the Nineties
Belle of the Nineties is Mae West's fourth motion picture, directed by Leo McCarey and released by Paramount Pictures. The film was based on West's original story It Ain't No Sin which was also to be the film's title until censors objected...
, The Nifty Nineties
The Nifty Nineties
The Nifty Nineties is an animated short film produced in Technicolor by Walt Disney Productions and released to theaters on June 20, 1941 by RKO Radio Pictures. The film stars Mickey and Minnie Mouse and romanticizes the decade of the 1890s....
, By the Light of the Silvery Moon
By the Light of the Silvery Moon (film)
By the Light of the Silvery Moon is a 1953 musical film. It is the sequel to On Moonlight Bay. Like its predecessor, the movie is based loosely on the Penrod stories by Booth Tarkington.-Plot:...
, and Hello, Dolly!
In reality, the Panic of 1893
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
set off a widespread economic depression in the United States that lasted until 1896.
The phrase has nothing to do with the term "gay" to refer to homosexuality, a usage that long postdates the phrase. A well-known gay bar
Gay bar
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT and queer communities...
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
uses the phrase as its name.