The Enduring Appeal of 1920s Flagpole Sitting and Its Legacy | The Animal Rescue Site
In the colorful tapestry of 1920s American fads, few were as visually arresting—or as peculiar—as flagpole sitting. This curious trend, which saw daring individuals perched atop towering poles for days or even weeks, captured the public’s imagination during the Roaring Twenties. It was a test of endurance, a publicity stunt, and for some, a pathway to fame. The phenomenon of flagpole sitting, sparked by stuntman Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly, briefly became a national obsession before fading with the onset of the Great Depression.
Flagpole sitting began in 1924 when Kelly, a World War I veteran and stunt performer, was hired to promote a movie by sitting atop a flagpole. He stayed up there for over 13 hours, drawing crowds and media attention. What started as a one-time stunt transformed into a personal brand. Kelly would go on to break his own records repeatedly, sitting for 80 hours in New Orleans, 146 hours in Kansas City, and a staggering 49 days in Atlantic City. In one of his most daring feats, he even perched atop a flagpole mounted on an airplane in 1927. According to The New York Times, when asked about his motivation, he simply said he “just went up for a breath of fresh air.”
This unique blend of spectacle and stamina resonated with the spirit of the 1920s, a decade known for its exuberance and fascination with novelty. As Americans embraced flappers, jazz, and dance marathons, flagpole sitting offered another form of entertainment—one that was both bizarre and oddly compelling. Spectators gathered to watch as sitters braved the elements, often living atop narrow platforms with only minimal shelter. Some used canvas tents for protection, while food and supplies were sent up via buckets on ropes.
Kelly wasn’t the only one to capitalize on the trend. “Pretty Betty Fox,” as newspapers called her, became another notable figure. She and her dance partner Benny performed atop flagpoles, balancing on a two-foot-wide platform for hours while crowds paid to watch. Their act combined endurance with performance art, and it helped keep the trend in the public eye. Others, like Bobbie Mack and Bill Penfield, also made headlines with their extended stays aloft. Penfield managed 51 days before a storm forced him down, while 15-year-old Avon Foreman set a juvenile record by sitting for 10 days.
What I found particularly striking was the sheer variety of participants and the ingenuity they employed to survive such long stints in the sky. From reading newspapers to smoking cigarettes and even requesting telephones, these sitters turned their perches into temporary homes. Kelly once remarked that he passed the time by drinking coffee and smoking, a casual attitude that belied the physical and mental challenges of the feat.
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