mixedmedia

I've had this collection of pics for a while and they are so spectacular I thought I might share them...for those into such things.

These are all girls who performed in the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1910's-20's. Some went on to further careers on the stage and screen...some disappeared into obscurity.

But I love this era of portraiture and the very sensual nature of these women.

Enjoy.

Myrna Darby


Vivian Porter (next 2)




Susan Fleming


Ruth Etting


Peggy Shannon


Myrna Darby (again)


Muriel Finley (next 3)






Katherine Burke (next 2)




Jean Ackerman (next 2)




Group shot feat. Jean Ackerman and Myrna Darby


Helen Henderson


Drucilla Strain


Dorothy Flood


Dorothy Dickson


Bea Ackerman


Caja Eric


Anna Held


Adrienne Ames


Ada May


Louise Brooks

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PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

kramus

A beautiful portfolio. Thanks MM.

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albania

Stunning pictures. Did anyone notice that in most of the shots all the girls are looking away from the camera? It seemed kind of weird, and this must hurt:

<img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/126/323547614_f61fe2555a_o.jpg" width=500 height=400>

Lucifer

Beautiful! Those girls had 'it' in spades!!

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ColonelSpecial

If I were ever to have a 'nude' picture taken of myself, it would be in this style. Just breathtakingly sexy.

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JustJess

Huh. Is it a function of the type that you like, MM, or the time period... that the majority of them are the exact same body type?
Perhaps nothing has changed in Hollywood after all, except styles and saturation of images.

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mixedmedia

Well, that's a good observation, Jess, but it most likely is a function of the obsession of Flo Ziegfeld. He was notoriously obsessed with his showgirls.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziegfeld_Follies

And this was Broadway, not Hollywood.

************************

Just found a few more....

Mary Brian


And two more of Dorothy Flood including this lovely color one...

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

Charlatan

I love thinking about these ladies as grandmothers...

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The_Jazz

Great pics, MM. I for one would love to see more.

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Jack The Lad

Thanks for sharing

Well, one good turn deserves another...

http://community.livejournal.com/refinement/200490.html

Oh, to be able to travel back in a time machine...

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mixedmedia

Mmmmmm, lovely. I love that dress she's wearing. Thank you.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

Jack The Lad

You're welcome

Your photographs of the Ziegfeld Girls made a pleasant change from looking at the same old pictures of Bettie Page and Veronica Lake that I usually swoon over!

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"If I was any more laidback, I'd be horizontal."

kingtgf

Awesome - Beautiful - and a bit surprising. Somehow, it never occurred to me that photographs almost a hundred years old could have been (and retained) the quality and resolution that these show. Please, if you have them, more, more, more.

Ant thanks for your work and effort

jewels

Beautiful. Thank you for sharing!

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Blackxacto

Thank you very much for scanning and sharing these angels w us all. I hope you don't mind but I am using them as desktop pictures. They are all so lovely. Thank you very much. John R

mixedmedia

You're very welcome. Enjoy!

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

little_tippler

wow these are even more stunning than the burlesque ones mm...I love the Ziegfeld Follies, such a fascinating piece of performance history.

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Whether we write or speak or do but look
We are ever unapparent. What we are
Cannot be transfused into word or book.
Our soul from us is infinitely far.
However much we give our thoughts the will
To be our soul and gesture it abroad,
Our hearts are incommunicable still.
In what we show ourselves we are ignored.
The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged
By any skill of thought or trick of seeming.
Unto our very selves we are abridged
When we would utter to our thought our being.
We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams,
And each to each other dreams of others' dreams.

Fernando Pessoa, 1918

crista7usa

What beautiful pictures! I used to work at a very upscale Jewish retirement community in Florida and a woman there was a Ziegfeld Folly girl. How interesting..

mixedmedia

I'm glad you enjoyed them. I would imagine the woman you mentioned had a lot of great stories to tell.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

kathy541

I love this ear of portraits, they are so much better than they're done today. So very romantic.

mixedmedia

wonderful. and I agree with you, thank you!

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce