Queer In The 1920s – Beyond The Roar Exhibition

The 1920s: Beyond the Roar 

The National Archives brings an experience-led exhibition to examine everyday life a century ago 

What was it like to be queer in the 1920’s? An upcoming exhibition on the Roaring 20s at The National Archives will explore what ‘normal life’ was like in this infamous period, using real historical objects to tell stories from real people in the past. Typically remembered for fringed dresses and pearl necklaces, the 20s was also time of socio-political change, where political demonstrations and activism was grappled with as often as rising hemlines! 

 See a copy of The Link, a ‘lonely hearts’ publication that men used to contact each other. It was ‘not matrimonial’, so it was very different to traditional publications focussed on marriage; society was changing! R A Bennett, editor of the moralistic newspaper Truth, had found men used The Link to contact each other through coded adverts. Bennett highlighted it to the Metropolitan Police and The Link was ultimately investigated for conspiracy to corrupt public morals. The State’s attempts to suppress and regulate sexuality has left the National Archives with many sources about the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in a time where the law criminalised love, which will appear in the exhibition. 

Looking at one page of The Link, we’re reminded of those explicit classifieds with box numbers in the early days of QX. 

One of the exhibits is a reimagining of infamous Soho nightclub, The 43 club, which concludes the visitor’s experience. The design of this space draws on reports from police raids to tell the stories of the venue owned by ’nightclub queen’ Kate Meyrick. Iconic 1920s design features, including patterns, furniture and lighting, bring a dancefloor, bar and seating area to life. Real stories are evidenced by historic documents that draw out glitzy and gritty accounts of The 43 and its staff and clientele, who ranged from film stars and gangsters to Italian waiters and East End dancing instructresses. This space acts as a microcosm that concludes Beyond the Roar by presenting the earlier themes from a different perspective and within a vibrant, social atmosphere. 

Find out more by reading the curator’s blog here

The 1920s: Beyond the Roar: Opening to the public from 21st January 2022. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, TW9 4DU 

Newspaper cutting about censored lesbian novel ‘The Well of Loneliness’