There’s a reason why the 1920s were called the Roaring Twenties. This decade, also called the Jazz Age, was a time of parties, excess, and sexual liberation that changed society and popular culture forever. For young women in particular, the 1920s were all about redefining what it meant to be a woman. They cut their hair short, wore dresses that showed their arms and legs, and weren’t afraid to dance the Charleston, a new, wild style that required moves that would’ve been considered unladylike by older generations.
Photo of Louise Brooks
Lillian Eichler, a writer and adwoman from New York City, who became a bestselling author by the age of twenty, is a great example of this new generation of women who broke the rules and changed the game. She was a true New York City girl. The daughter of Jewish Hungarian immigrants, she grew up over a cigar store in Harlem, living and breathing all the energy that makes New York City one of the most exciting places to live in the world. Maybe it was this energy, in combination with her natural talent, and years and years of reading, that made her the great writer she was before she’d even turned twenty. At eighteen, she managed to earn a spot at Ruthrauff and Ryan, an advertising agency that had previously established they wouldn’t hire women or Jewish people but decided to give Eichler a chance because of how good she was.
From day one, she was a star copywriter, a true natural at coming up with bold and creative ad campaigns. However, her big break came after taking on a project about one of the least exciting topics you could possibly think of: manners. Her job was to rewrite a book about manners and etiquette that had been a flop because the style was outdated and too formal. When you think about it, it’s not the easiest job in the world. Basically, Eichler had to take this topic, which is all about rules, norms, and restrictions, and make it appealing for young people at the time. Nonetheless, Eichler was so smart and such a good writer that, even though she was writing about manners, she made it work, using language that still feels young and fresh, and turning a flop into a bestseller.
The book, titled The Book of Etiquette, was published in 1921 by Doubleday. It went on to sell more than two million copies, a huge deal for such a young woman who had never published a book before. Among the reasons for its success was the Eichler’s cool and dynamic style, of course, but there was also another factor that made it such a hit: the pictures. Each of the tips mentioned in the book is accompanied by an image that illustrates what tip is talking about. And, because Eichler’s background was in advertising, she knew just what the pictures needed in order to make them interesting. Her images are clear and helpful, but above all, they are fun to look at, sometimes even funny, making the reader relate more to what they are depicting.
In more ways than one, twenty-year-old Eichler can serve as an example and inspiration for all of us young women who are trying to make it as professionals in a society that still doesn’t see us as equal to men. Can you imagine what it was like for her, trying to do her job while also having to deal with the sexism that comes with working in a male-dominated industry almost a hundred years ago? If it’s difficult now, it must have been ten times more frustrating back then. We should definitely remember and celebrate her as an early feminist, role model, and a pioneer, who also knew a thing or two about manners.
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Images: from “The Millionaire Teenage Ad Girl who wrote the Book on Jazz Age Etiquette”
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