American Girls in Popular Media

A Cultural History of Preadolescent Girls, 1890–1945

American Girls in Popular Media

A Cultural History of Preadolescent Girls, 1890–1945

Stella A. Ress (Author)

Hardback ~~$153.50~~ $138.15

Hardback $153.50

Hardback $153.50

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Description

The appearance of high-profile girl characters in popular culture media of all types soared between the years 1924, when Little Orphan Annie first appeared in the comic section of newspapers, to 1945, when teenage girls replaced their younger sisters in the spotlight. As such, girl culture of the 1920s through the 1940s experienced a boom in popularity. Despite the substantial impact that prepubescent and preadolescent girls had on society during this time, scholars have largely overlooked the experiences of these girls and their depictions in popular entertainment. American Girls in Popular Media: A Cultural History of Preadolescent Girls, 1890–1945 by Stella A. Ress addresses this gap by weaving together archival materials, newspaper articles, letters, images, comic strips, radio programs, film, and media content analysis both to tease out meaning from the varied depictions of young girls in popular culture and to uncover the voices and agency of those long silenced. This book explores how these portrayals helped address societal anxieties exacerbated by the depression and war, including generational conflicts, gender issues, racial tensions, and urban-rural divides. This transformation not only mirrored societal changes but also played a role in shaping perceptions of femininity, youth, and social values, leaving an indelible mark on American cultural history that continues to resonate today.

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: ‘To the Ladies’: The Rise of Depictions of Young Girls in Popular Media
Chapter 1: The Invisible Girl: The Preadolescent Female Performer at the Dawn of Popular Culture
Chapter 2: Bridging the Gaps and Paving the Way: Little Orphan Annie, Comic Strips, and Preadolescent Girls in the 1920s
Chapter 3: Daddy’s Girl and Mommy’s Rival: Film, Shirley Temple, and the Answer to the 1930s Gender Crisis
Chapter 4: ‘We Are Trying to Do All We Can to Help’: Radio and the Invisible Economy of American Girls’ Work During WWII
Conclusion
Bibliography
About the Author

Product details

Published	Mar 05 2025
Format	Hardback
Edition	1st
Extent	176
ISBN	9781666946192
Imprint	Lexington Books
Illustrations	6 BW Photos
Dimensions	229 x 152 mm
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Author

Stella A. Ress

Stella A. Ress has written a lively, engaging book on the evolution of the perception?and image?of girls at a critical time in US social and cultural development. By using previous historical research, as well as the mass media of the era from 1890 to 1945, she has written a book that is a great addition to the historical field.

Cord A. Scott, University of Maryland Global Campus, Okinawa
Through insightful analysis of comic strips, film, and radio, Ress reveals how portrayals of young girls from the 1920s to the 1940s helped Americans navigate and cope with the uncertainties of a rapidly changing society.

Elizabeth M. Matelski, Endicott College
Visible or invisible, ideal or real, girlhood remains the central theme in Stella A. Ress's research concerning American girls within popular media as she examines and reimagines the 'intertwining' concepts of young girls from the turn of the century through the Second World War. Ress stresses the need to explore the complexity of girlhood through imagery, imagination and implacability.

Lisa Payne Ossian, Des Moines Area Community College