Rhythm & Reaction: The Age of Jazz in Britain documented in new exhibition

The 1920s marked a social revolution both here in the UK and across the pond in America. Speakeasy cocktails, short haircuts and even shorter hemlines signified the trends of the time, all soundtracked to fast tempo jazz music to suit the faster pace of life being adopted by the young movers and shakers.

In the modern age we look back on this time with great admiration. The fashions have shaped much of how we dress, dance and relax today – none of which would have been possible without the influence of jazz.

In an upcoming exhibition at Two Temple Place, London, Rhythm & Reaction marks 100 years of jazz reaching Britain and offers a visual exploration of the impact of this iconic style of music. Kicking off with a curator's introduction by Professor Catherine Tackley, Head of Music at the University of Liverpool and one of the UK’s leading authorities on jazz, the show promises an extensive collection of historical sources, from photographs to paintings and posters.

"In Britain, jazz provoked reactions ranging from devotion to abhorrence when first the idea and then the sound of the music entered the consciousness of the British public in the aftermath of the First World War.

"While jazz has underscored some key exhibitions on this period in the past decade, Rhythm & Reaction explores the aesthetic and cultural impact of the music on artists and society at large. It examines how Britons encountered jazz and in particular, how art produced in response to jazz represented or influenced perceptions of the genre."

Rhythm & Reaction opens on 27 January 2018. Find out more at twotempleplace.org.

Main image: Brightest London and Home by Underground 1924 Poster, Horace Taylor London Transport Museum © TfL from the London Transport Museum collection

Co-operative Wholesale Society, Bar Shoes 1920-1925 Gold and green leather bar shoes, Northampton Museum and Art Gallery © courtesy of Northampton Museum and Art Gallery

Co-operative Wholesale Society, Bar Shoes 1920-1925 Gold and green leather bar shoes, Northampton Museum and Art Gallery © courtesy of Northampton Museum and Art Gallery

William Patrick Roberts The Dance Club (The Jazz Party) 1923 Oil on Canvas, 55.5 x 76cm, Leeds Museum and Art Gallery © Estate of John David Roberts. By permission of the Treasury Solicitor, courtesy of Bridgeman Images

William Patrick Roberts The Dance Club (The Jazz Party) 1923 Oil on Canvas, 55.5 x 76cm, Leeds Museum and Art Gallery © Estate of John David Roberts. By permission of the Treasury Solicitor, courtesy of Bridgeman Images

Edward Burra The Band 1934 Watercolour, 55.5 x 76cm, British Council Collection © Estate of the Artist, courtesy of Lefevre Fine Art Ltd, London and British Council Collection

Edward Burra The Band 1934 Watercolour, 55.5 x 76cm, British Council Collection © Estate of the Artist, courtesy of Lefevre Fine Art Ltd, London and British Council Collection

Enoch Boulton for Carlton ware Design pattern JAZZ 3353 1930s Design Pattern, The Cochrane & Pettit Archive of Carlton Ware © Harvey Pettit, courtesy of The Cochrane & Pettit Archive of Carlton Ware

Enoch Boulton for Carlton ware Design pattern JAZZ 3353 1930s Design Pattern, The Cochrane & Pettit Archive of Carlton Ware © Harvey Pettit, courtesy of The Cochrane & Pettit Archive of Carlton Ware

Enoch Boulton for Carlton Ware  JAZZ Pattern 3353, orange lustre 1930s Ceramic Vase, Private Collection © Terry Wise, courtesy of Terry Wise / Carlton Ware World

Enoch Boulton for Carlton Ware JAZZ Pattern 3353, orange lustre 1930s Ceramic Vase, Private Collection © Terry Wise, courtesy of Terry Wise / Carlton Ware World

The Original Dixieland Jazz Band at The Palais de Dance, Hammersmith 1919 Photograph, Max Jones Archive © Max Jones Archive, maxjonesarchive@aol.com

The Original Dixieland Jazz Band at The Palais de Dance, Hammersmith 1919 Photograph, Max Jones Archive © Max Jones Archive, [email protected]

The Melody Maker, Xmas 1929 Printed Magazine, National Jazz Archive © Time Inc. (UK) Ltd, courtesy of the National Jazz Archive

The Melody Maker, Xmas 1929 Printed Magazine, National Jazz Archive © Time Inc. (UK) Ltd, courtesy of the National Jazz Archive

Still from The Jazz Drummer of London Senora Band 1926 Black & White film, British Pathé © courtesy of British Pathé

Still from The Jazz Drummer of London Senora Band 1926 Black & White film, British Pathé © courtesy of British Pathé

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