Trail-Breaking Beauties of Yesteryear
Permanent ID:
9937Call number:
V7: 1422Date:
September 1921Image Description:
Photograph of contestants at the first Miss America pageant in September 1921. The brainchild of the Businessmen's League of Atlantic City, the Miss America pageant was originally an "Inter-City Beauty" contest consisting of a popularity and beauty contest. On September 8, 1921, spectators turned out on the Atlantic City boardwalk to see sixteen-year-old Margaret Gorman of Washington, D.C. crowned the "Most Beautiful Bathing Girl in America" and awarded the title of the "Golden Mermaid."From original image caption: "These eight girls helped start the Atlantic City Beauty Pageant rolling away back in September, 1921. The girl on the right was Nellie Orr, as Miss Philadelphia. Third from the left is Miss Camden, and then Miss New York, Miss Ocean City, Miss Harrisburg and Miss Atlantic City."