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We'll print newspapers every day With pictures of seductive girls. The world will judge our progress by The girls that win beauty contests.
-Wole Soyinka
The Lion and the Jewel
Two brief, inconspicuous and oddly juxtaposed news items appear on the same page of the 11 September 1921 New York Times. "Queen of Beaches Chosen," describes the selection of the "prettiest girl on the five beaches of New York." According to the report, more than 5,000 people gathered at Brighton Beach to watch the parade of 20 women and, ultimately, the selection of 17-year-old Madge Merritt as "queen of New York beaches." The judges of the event included two artists, one "authority on beauty," and Hope Hampton of "motion picture fame."
Near the "beach queen" entry is a very brief account entitled "Charity Fete Aids Chorus Girls." The event, said to have "attracted a large crowd of persons prominent in the theatrical world," was held at Delmonico's to benefit needy chorus girls. Representatives from the Ziegfeld Follies, George White's "Scandals," Doraldina of the "moving pictures," and others took part in what was described as an "impromptu review." Particularly telling is the closing sentence of the account: "A substantial sum was realized for chorus girls, many of whom are out of work due to the chaotic conditions in the theatre business."
While these news items may appear unrelated, closer scrutiny of such events, including the social and historical context in which they occurred, suggests a remarkable juncture of theatrical, legal, and gender issues. Although it is difficult, if not impossible, to gauge the degree of influence such seemingly disparate historical events actually have upon one another, the advantage of retrospection is that of viewing the progression, merger, overlap, and even culmination of complex social dynamics.
There is a measure of historical irony in both the journalistic and calendrical proximity of the "beach queen" and "chorus girl charity" items. Common to both is the attention given to the performances of women who, by the standards of the day, appeared in less than a fully clothed state. Both events were well-attended and both had the notable presence of a motion picture personality. In addition, "Queen of Beaches Chosen" depicts the imminent rise of the beauty pageant in...