January 1, 1970

In the early twentieth century, ‘popular’ culture was still a fairly novel concept. Prior to this, culture was considered primarily the domain of the elite classes: art forms such as poetry, fine art, operas and ballet reflected the refined tastes of the aristocracy.

With the development of mass media in the wake of the Second World War, popular and mass culture converged. Consumerism – largely driven by the United States and exemplified by Henry Ford’s mass production of automobiles – rapidly became the defining quality of modern society.

From the music halls of the late Victorian period to the screaming crowds at a Beatles concert, today’s preoccupation with media and celebrity can be seen as the product of over a century of social and cultural change.