Today, young people who have an excessive yen for craft beers, retro clothes and restaurants in far-off parts of town are commonly referred to as "hipsters." It's not a bad thing to be a hipster, but the word is often unfairly used to typecast those who seem too cool for school. Hipsters are often the ones who add life and revenue to down-and-out neighborhoods and start eateries, clubs and galleries there, too. Most hipsters are passionate, gentle folk who are about music and life, which is a good thing. [Photo above, William P. Gottlieb, Library of Congress]
But hipsters are nothing new to the social landscape. This cool-cat archetype has been around for some time. Among the first was Harry "the Hipster" Gibson, a jazz pianist and songwriter who died in 1991. Between 1939 and 1945, he played often at the New York's Three Deuces on 52nd St. He was a cross between a serious barrel-house pianist and a bop comedian. Much of his routine was inspired by larger-than-life artist-entertainers who preceded him, including Cab Calloway and Slim Gaillard. Let's have a look at Harry the Hipster in action:
Here's the Hipster in 1944 playing Piano Boogie Jump...
Here's the Hipster again in '44...
Here he is in 1946 from the movie Junior Prom...
If some of the Hipster's wild-man hysteria seems familiar to you, you may be thinking of this guy some 15 years later...
