Rhythm & Reaction: The Age of Jazz in Britain documented in new exhibition

In the modern age we look back on this time with great admiration. The fashions have shaped much of how we dress, dance and relax today – none of which would have been possible without the influence of jazz.

In an upcoming exhibition at Two Temple Place, London, Rhythm & Reaction marks 100 years of jazz reaching Britain and offers a visual exploration of the impact of this iconic style of music. Kicking off with a curator's introduction by Professor Catherine Tackley, Head of Music at the University of Liverpool and one of the UK’s leading authorities on jazz, the show promises an extensive collection of historical sources, from photographs to paintings and posters.

"In Britain, jazz provoked reactions ranging from devotion to abhorrence when first the idea and then the sound of the music entered the consciousness of the British public in the aftermath of the First World War.

"While jazz has underscored some key exhibitions on this period in the past decade, Rhythm & Reaction explores the aesthetic and cultural impact of the music on artists and society at large. It examines how Britons encountered jazz and in particular, how art produced in response to jazz represented or influenced perceptions of the genre."

Rhythm & Reaction opens on 27 January 2018. Find out more at twotempleplace.org.

Main image: Brightest London and Home by Underground 1924 Poster, Horace Taylor London Transport Museum © TfL from the London Transport Museum collection