I identified this photo postcard as a dance marathon on the basis of the sign in the upper left corner "THEY HAVE BEEN GOING 479 HOURS." That's nearly 20 days!
HistoryLink.org has an excellent article Dance Marathons of the 1920s and 1930s.
Dance Marathons (also called Walkathons), an American phenomenon of the 1920s and 1930s, were human endurance contests in which couples danced almost non-stop for hundreds of hours (as long as a month or two), competing for prize money. Dance marathons originated as part of an early-1920s, giddy, jazz-age fad for human endurance competitions such as flagpole sitting and six-day bicycle races. Dance marathons persisted throughout the 1930s as partially staged performance events, mirroring the marathon of desperation Americans endured during the Great Depression. In these dance endurance contests, a mix of local hopefuls and seasoned professional marathoners danced, walked, shuffled, sprinted, and sometimes cracked under the pressure and exhaustion of round-the-clock motion.The blog Blondie Cuts a Rug has another informative article with the same title, and many photos from dance marathons.
I don't know when or where the dance marathon on my postcard occurred. The names Rustic Inn, Eddie, and Cloris could be clues. A couple of Eddies are listed on the Dance Marathons page of Dance history Archives, but Eddie is a common name. Rustic Inn is also a fairly common name that is still in use at a variety of places. I found the postcard in Minnesota, so Minnesota is a possibility. I checked a page about Minnesota marathon dances. There are some interesting photos there, but nothing like this.
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An interesting take on this week's theme - and the dancers certainly look exhausted.
ReplyDeleteSusan at Family History Fun
I'm not sure I would volunteer to take part in any dance marathon.
ReplyDeleteI suppose entry into something like that for me would depend on what you won? A heaping pile of money? Sure. A gift card to McDonalds? Probably not. Donation to a good charity? Could be . . . at least when I was young. Today would be a completely different story. (creak, groan, yawn)
ReplyDeleteThat's a special postcard! I think the dance marathon craze was another example of that universal allure for 15 minutes of fame. It seems an absurd way to become a celebrity but just look at the inane stuff people produce today for YouTube.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea for the theme. I think people were desperate for money and would do just short of anything to get it. Eddie and Cloris look like winners to me. The dancers on the video were at it for months...Holy Cow.
ReplyDeleteGreat entertainment, with competition for the boys who wanted to be winners...as well as the girls! Before all the entertainments we have today were available, a wholesome way to burn off some of the energies of young people. But I'm sure it got old pretty fast if you were going that long!
ReplyDeleteThose marathons were NOT wholesome, and were banned in some places because they were considered inhumane and immoral. In contrast, there are now short dance marathons involving college students that are used for fundraising.
DeletePostcardy - in the top right hand corner of the photo I spot what I think is a radio station logo - I wonder if that might provide a clue as to the location? Great post - I did laugh watching that video - so silly.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it doesn't include the call letters.
DeleteWow, we do have a Rustic Inn in Stacy, Minnesota!
ReplyDeleteThose marathon participants all deserved a medal!
ReplyDelete