Centennial 1911: Snapshots from 100 Years Ago
Sheet Music for Alexanders Ragtime Band, Irving Berlins 1911 Hit. Click Above for Larger View
This new series of programs will change each year to look back at historic events of a century ago. We will look at the milestones, music, and memorable events to discover interesting nostalgia, notable people, and ironic parallels with recent history.
William Howard Taft, U.S. President in 1911. Click Above for Larger View
This year’s program in the series looks at 1911. The mayor of Chicago, whose father of the same name previously served five terms as mayor, finishes the last of his own five terms in City Hall. The Illinois Governor testifies concerning the curious shenanigans that anointed a corrupt Chicago politician as U.S. Senator. Plans are announced for great public works amid allegations that government programs only lead to greater opportunities for graft, fraud, and cronyism.
Crisco Shortening, a new product introduced in 1911
William Howard Taft is in the White House, where he negotiates treaties with Great Britain and France that offer the hope of long-term peace. Yet frictions within the Republican Party lead to open feuds with his former ally, Theodore Roosevelt. The year 1911 sees the flight of the first airplanes with enclosed passenger cabins and the first use of aircraft in battle. Crisco Shortening is introduced to consumers, marketed to bakers as a healthy alternative to animal fats. The favorite new song of the year is Irving Berlins first hit Alexanders Ragtime Band one of the first mainstream popular pieces to openly acknowledge African-American influences.
Centennial 1911: Snapshots from 100 Years Ago brings us back to that time long ago that sheds light on our current culture, in both our progress and our continued challenges.
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