Rarely seen photos of Vintage Black Glamour
Vintage Glamour is beautiful. The glamour shot photography of that era has no competition. The glamour shot changed Hollywood and the public’s view of the “celebrity”. The history of the glamour shot originated with printed 2 1/2 x 4″ cartes-de-visites during the American Civil War. By the 1930s, the glamour shot was perfected by celebrity publicity campaigns.
Vintage Hollywood has been a big staple in American culture, images of Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn are common but classic black stars like Dorothy Dandridge and Ethel Waters are rarely seen.
Vintage Black glamour needs to be celebrated. The women of the classic era paved a way for modern Black Hollywood. They displayed their beauty and talent when black representation was non-existent.
Dorothy Dandridge (1922-1965)
The “original” Halle Berry. The first African American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Diahann Carroll (1935-)
TV and film actress best known for Julia, Dynasty and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Joyce Bryant (1928-)
Singer and entertainer known as The Black Marilyn Monroe.
Ruby Dee (1922-2014)
American actress, playwright, screenwriter, activist, poet, and journalist.
Ethel Waters (1896-1977)
The first woman to sing “St. Louis Blues” on stage.
Lola Falana (1942-)
“Black Venus”, an American singer, dancer, and actress who became a major star in Italian cinema.
Marpessa Dawn (1934-2008)
American-born French actress of African descent, best known for her role in the Black Orpheus.
Theresa Harris (1906-1985)
American television and film actress.
Della Reese
American actress and singer known for her well-established TV career, including her role on ‘Touched by an Angel.’
Eartha Kitt (1927-2008)
Outspoken singer and actress, best known for playing Catwoman in the 1960’s TV show Batman and criticizing the Vietnam War amongst Lady Bird Johnson.
Nina Mae Mckinney (1912-1967)
“The Black Garbo” was one of the first African American film stars in the United States.
Abbey Lincoln (1930-2010)
American jazz vocalist, civil rights advocate, and actress.
