stringtranslate.com

Bright young things

Richard Plunket Greene, Olivia Plunket Greene, David Plunket Greene, Terence Greenidge, Elizabeth Frances Russell, and Evelyn Waugh.

The Bright Young Things, or Bright Young People,[1][2] was a term given by the tabloid press to a group of Bohemian young aristocrats and socialites in 1920s London.[3] They threw flamboyant fancy dress parties, went on elaborate treasure hunts through nighttime London, and some drank heavily or used illicit drugs — all of which was enthusiastically covered by journalists such as Charles Graves and Tom Driberg.[4]

They inspired a number of writers, including Nancy Mitford (Highland Fling), Anthony Powell (A Dance to the Music of Time), Henry Green (Party Going), Dorothy Sayers (Murder Must Advertise), and the poet John Betjeman. Evelyn Waugh's 1930 novel Vile Bodies, adapted as the 2003 film Bright Young Things, is a satirical look at this scene.[4] Cecil Beaton began his career in photography by documenting this set, of which he was a member.[5]

Prominent members of the group included:

List of 'Bright Young Things' and their associates

The following is a list of the Bright Young Things, their friends, acquaintances and associates of the period, many of whom were the basis for characters in the novels written by members of the group such as Evelyn Waugh, Anthony Powell and Nancy Mitford.[6]

References

  1. ^ Pauline Thomas. "1920s Flapper Fashion History. C20th Costume History for Women in the 1920s". fashion-era.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  2. ^ "14 – 1920s Entertainment 1920s Music 1920s Popular Entertainment Radio 1922 Sports Pink Flannel". englandattraction.com. Archived from the original on 13 August 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  3. ^ Philip Hoare, ‘Tennant, Stephen James Napier (1906–1987)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004
  4. ^ a b Rubin, Martin (10 January 2009). "Book Review of "Bright Young People" - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  5. ^ "Cecil Beaton: in association with Sotheby's". Chris Beetles Galleries. 2009. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  6. ^ "DJ Taylor on the bohemian group of Bright Young People". TheGuardian.com. 29 September 2007.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al Carpenter, Humphrey (2013). The Brideshead Generation: Evelyn Waugh and His Friends. Faber & Faber. ISBN 9780571309283. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Lancaster, Marie-Jaqueline (2005). Brian Howard: Portrait of a Failure. Timewell Press. p. 122. ISBN 9781857252118. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Mozart Fancy Dress Concert is Picturesque – 31 May 1930, Sat • Page 52". The Winnipeg Tribune: 52. 1930. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Thomson, Kathleen Buchanan (1900-1941), wife of Sir George Paget Thomson - archives.trin.cam.ac.uk". Archives of Trinity College, Cambridge. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g "Bright Young People of the Rising Generation – 20 Sep 1924, Sat • Home Edition • Page 25". The Winnipeg Tribune: 25. 1924. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Amusing Turns Brighten Coming-of-Age Party – 16 Jul 1927, Sat • Page 33". The Winnipeg Tribune: 33. 1927. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar Beaton, Cecil (1933). The Book of Beauty. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i "London Society's Thrilling All-Night Treasure Hunts - 06 Sep 1924, Sat • Page 22". Argus-Leader: 22. 1924. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Blackout of the Hon. Elizabeth's Wild 20-year-party – 15 Sep 1940, Sun • Page 43". The Minneapolis Star: 43. 1940. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Script Doctors and Vicious Addicts" (PDF). LSHTM Research Online. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Rintoul, M.C. (2014). Dictionary of Real People and Places in Fiction. Routledge. p. 397. ISBN 9781136119408. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  18. ^ a b c d e f "Young People Take Big Treasure Hunt – 19 Sep 1924, Fri • Page 19". The Bridgeport Telegram: 19. 1924. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Showing Aside the Jazz Set in English Society – 10 Jan 1937, Sun • Page 95". The Philadelphia Inquirer: 95. 1937. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  20. ^ "Marriage of a "Bright Young Person". – 30 Jan 1929, Wed • Page 10". The Guardian: 10. 1929. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  21. ^ a b c d e f "Eminent Victorians – 23 May 1928, Wed • Page 19". The Guardian: 19. 1928. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  22. ^ a b c d e "Flaming Youth tries Britain's Patience – 15 Sep 1929, Sun • Page 72". The Baltimore Sun: 72. 1929. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  23. ^ Shore, H (2013). "'Constable dances with instructress': the police and the Queen of Nightclubs in inter-war London" (PDF). Leeds Beckett Repository, Leeds Beckett University. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  24. ^ a b "Lord Rennell's Son Engaged – 27 Jul 1933, Thu • Page 10". The Guardian: 10. 1933. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  25. ^ a b "Society in London – 28 Feb 1929, Thu • Page 7". The Palm Beach Post: 7. 1929. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  26. ^ Evelyn Waugh, a Biography. P.41 Christopher Sykes. Publisher, Collins 1975.
  27. ^ a b "British Girl Holds Record as Art Model – 22 May 1921, Sun • Page 4". San Francisco Chronicle: 4. 1921. Retrieved 16 January 2018.

Sources

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bright Young Things.