Back in 2019, before the world went to hell in a handbasket, we held two 1920’s shoots around the theme of a speakeasy with flappers and gangsters. We had so much fun, and I decided to hold another one, this time, on location with a 1926 vintage tram as our set. Unfortunately, due to Covid, and with our state being in total lockdown for 13 weeks, we ended up having to delay the shoot twice. The delay blew out to eight months, but we eventually had a brief lockdown free window to do the shoot. And just in time, too, as a week later, we are back in a short lockdown.

Flappers of the 1920s were young women known for their energetic freedom, embracing a lifestyle viewed by many at the time as outrageous, immoral or downright dangerous. Now considered the first generation of independent American women, flappers pushed barriers in economic, political, and sexual freedom for women.

1920S history

Our Cast

Our four flappers were Jess Garrett, Emily Reinhard, Lisa Willmore, Anjel Taylor, and one gangster – Boris Struk. We also lucked out with Bob, the Conductor who took charge of our vintage tram. He proved to be an absolute hoot in front of the camera. To say there was a lot of laughter and shenanigans is an understatement. It was a fabulous, fun shoot – and after months of lockdown, it was just what we all needed.

Ballarat Tramway Museum

We booked a tram for the day through the Ballarat Tramway Museum. Our tram was a lovingly restored W2 class tram that first went into service in 1926 before being withdrawn from service in 1982. It was then purchased by the Melbourne Tramcar Preservation Society, where it was restored to prime condition. The tram is currently on loan from them to Ballarat Tramway Museum.

We shot around and on the vintage tram for a couple of hours before they took us for a ride through the streets of Ballarat, in “our” tram to another outdoor location. Sam and Bob from the museum were fabulous and went out of their way to make our day a success.

The 1920s also brought about Prohibition, the result of the 18th Amendment ending legal alcohol sales. Combined with an explosion of popularity for jazz music and jazz clubs, the stage was set for speakeasies, which offered illegally produced and distributed alcohol.

1920 History

Many thanks to our fabulous models and the Ballarat Tramway Museum for a fabulous day.

Entry to the museum is free. The Ballarat Vintage Tramway is located in the Botanical Gardens on the western shore of Lake Wendouree.