Legendary Sin Cities

Of all the remarkable events of the 20th century, perhaps the most fascinating has been the spontaneous growth, flourishing, and eventual decline of a handful of great cities. These cities were places where art, culture, and political liberties intertwined with corruption, brutality, and decadence. Everything and just about anyone could be bought and sold. Immigrants would struggle beside artists. Gamblers, thieves, and prostitutes coexisted with reformers, the wealthy, and the powerful. The exhilarating combination of the seamy with the sublime made these places a magnet for all the lost souls and refugees of the world. Pushing the limits of tolerance and freedom, they defined the social, political, and sexual culture of the 20th century. Their names ring out: Paris of the '20s, Berlin of the '20s and '30s, and Shanghai of the '30s.