From the 1930s onward, the guitar evolved from a small parlor curiosity for genteel souls to a powerful talisman that became the voice of the Woodstock generation, transforming into a transcendental medium through which many musical styles flourished. By tracing the guitar's development through its Golden Age (1930-1965) in context with movements in industrial design and art, one can see how the entirely new genres of music that developed simultaneously defined the spirit of individuality and greatness that blossomed during the 20th century.