American Experience: Gatsby Gala: Research Resources
Resources for researching 1920s cultural and political figures
big gig
Still from Harold Lloyd film The Freshman (1925)
Gatsby in 1923
What was the reaction to Gatsby when it was published?
Print Advertisement from the New York Times, May 10, 1925
Primary Source Materials from Newspapers & Magazines
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Scott Fitzgerald and His Work (Book Review, Chicago Daily Tribune, May 3, 1925))
H.L. Mencken finds the story underwhelming, but praises the writing and recommends it as a piece of "social history" for its accurate portrayal of the wealthy in New York/Long Island.
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Scott Fitzgerald Looks Into Middle Age (New York Times, April 19, 2025)
"A curious book, a mystical, glamourous story of today. It takes a deeper cut at life than hitherto has been enjoyed by Mr. Fitzgerald. He writes well-he always has-for he writes naturally, and his sense of form is becoming perfected."
How Gatsby's Reception has Changed in the Last 100 Years
Specific Resources
Subject-Specific Resources
1920s History & Culture
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Pop Culture Universe: The 1920s
Great resource for contextualizing culture, technology & the arts. -
Roaring Twenties Reference LibraryVolume 1: Almanac & Primary Sources
Volume 2: Biographies
Arts & Literature
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Gale Literature This link opens in a new window
high-quality articles on authors and their works, including critical, biographical and contextual information, -
Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive resource about artists, art movements, techniques, and more. -
Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive resource for information about music styles and genres as well as composers & musicians.
Fashion ideas for looking swell at the gala:
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Great General Resources
Resources for General Biography and Background Information
Gale Biography
Requires your GBS ID (number only) and password for home access to resources
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American National Biography This link opens in a new window
Great for well-known American political, cultural, literary, and athletic figures of the era.
Gale eBooks (Reference Books)
Search all of the Gale eBooks at one time.
Requires your GBS ID (number only) and password for home access to resources
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Gale Reference eBooks (GVRL) This link opens in a new window
The largest e-book collection at GBS. It has over 500 reference titles in all subject areas.
Primary Sources
Primary Sources
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ProQuest Historical Newspapers (Dates Vary) This link opens in a new window
Includes historical coverage of New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, and more.
Documentary & Entertainment Films of the Era
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Fox Movietone News Collection (1920s)Use the subjects on the left side menu to narrow results by theme.
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