In the early 20th century, a distinctly American visual art
style was developed by Peruvian-born artist Alberto Vargas. The beautiful,
highly stylized women that he painted would later come to be known as 'The Vargas Girls'.
Alberto was a close friend to Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. As such, he often used the equally famed Ziegfeld
Girls as inspiration for his artwork. These images would find themselves in all sorts of places in
the early 1900s, from magazines to ads to posters, and most famously, World War II airplanes.
Soon enough, artists inspired by his work started creating their own works borrowing
from his signature style. While Vargas wasn't the only famed pin-up artist of his day,
as Gil Elvgren and George Petty also deserve a mention,
his Vargas Girl brand is widely considered to be the pinnacle example of the pin-up genre.
Join us as we take a look at the real-life women
that contributed their likenesses to what has become a cultural touchstone of sorts
in the decades since Vargas first created his iconic signature style.
Olive Thomas
Born on October 20, 1894, Thomas' career as an illustrator's model began in 1914.
That same year, Thomas won a contest held by commercial artist Howard Chandler Christy,
that earned her the title of 'Most Beautiful Girl in New York City'.
After winning that contest, Thomas would pose for artists such as Harrison Fisher, Penrhyn Stanlaws,
and Haskell Coffin. In 1915, she moved on to performing with the famed Ziegfeld Follies.
Around this time, she also appeared in a more provocative stage show called The Midnight Frolic.
Thomas continued to model while performing in the Follies. She became Alberto Vargas'
first Vargas-Girl when she posed for a portrait titled Memories of Olive,
which depicted her in the nude from the waist up while holding a rose to her nose.
Florenz Ziegfeld purchased the piece and hung it in his office at the New
Amsterdam Theatre. Vargas also kept a copy of the portrait in his personal collection.
In 1916, Thomas transitioned into appearing in silent films. Over the next four years,
she would appear in more than 20 movies.
On September 10, 1920, Thomas died in Paris, France, after consuming her husband's syphilis
medication, mercury dichloride. The ingestion of that chemical caused her kidneys to become
inflamed then fail, leading to her death. While officially, her death was deemed to be accidental,
the circumstances surrounding her death were subject to press speculation for years to come.
Billie Burke
Born Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke on April 7, 1884, in Washington DC,
Billie was an actress and model who became famous for her Broadway, radio, and film work.
She is perhaps best known for playing Glinda the Good Witch of the North in 1939s Wizard Of Oz.
Burke started her career in show business touring around the US
and Europe with her father who was a clown and singer with Barnum & Bailey Circus.
She eventually moved to London where she developed a love for theater while attending West End Plays.
She started acting on stage in 1903 when she debuted in the London production The School Girl.
After appearing in several other London plays, Burke went on to perform on Broadway in leading
roles in shows like The Mind-The-Paint Girl, The Land Of Promise, and The Runaway.
In 1914, Burke married producer Florenz Ziegfeld,
with whom she would have a daughter two years later. It was while she was married to Ziegfeld,
a close friend of Alberto Vargas, that she would model for him.
In 1915, she signed her first film contract and made her debut in the silent movie Peggy.
Quickly, she became the highest-paid actress in Hollywood. Burke went on to become one of the
most prolific actresses of her day, appearing in dozens of films. She was also considered
a highly-influential trendsetter – especially when it came to fashion.
Burke remained married to Ziegfeld until his death in 1932. In 1938, she was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Emily Kilbourne in 1938s Merrily We Live.
She would continue to act in both films and stage productions until
1960, when she made her final film appearance in 1960s Sergeant Rutledge.
Burke died in LA of natural cause on May 14, 1970, at 85.
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Marilyn Miller
Marilyn Miller was an actress, dancer, and model known for the way that she embodied a vibrant,
youthful sense of optimism in her performances. She was born in Evansville,
Indiana, in 1898. After her parents divorced when she was still a child,
she was raised by her mother and stepdad, a vaudeville song-and-dance man and acrobat.
With her family, Miller performed in an act that was dubbed The Five Columbians, which
proved to be especially popular in the Midwest. While performing in a club in London in 1914,
Miller caught the attention of Broadway producer Lee Shubert, who managed to convince her to come
back to New York with him to appear in his 'Passing Show' revues of 1914, '15, and '17.
Miller because an instant hit with audiences thanks to her delicate yet
vibrant beauty. In 1918, she met Florenz Ziegfeld Jr, who decided to mentor her,
expand her repertoire, and advance her career.
Miller became a headliner with the Ziegfeld Follies in 1918 and 1919.
In 1920 she was featured in Ziegfeld's 'Sally'', in which she first sang her signature song 'Look
for the Silver Lining'. While the show was an enormous hit, her and Ziegfeld's professional
and personal relationship soon soured, leading her to sever her ties with him.
She eventually reconciled with him and went on to enjoy outstanding popularity
and success on Broadway. Miller would appear in 3 films adapted
from her stage performances, 1929s Sally, 1930s Sunny, and 1931s Her Majesty, Love.
It was during her years performing with the
Follies that she also served as one of Alberto Vargas' models.
Miller's image was frequently marred by tragedy, disappointments, and frequent illness. She passed
away On April 7, 1936, from complications of a botched nasal surgery. She was just 37 years old.
Nita Naldi
This stage performer and silent film star was often cast in theatrical productions as a vamp,
a type of persona that was first popularized by the late
actress Theda Bara. After being raised in a working-class household in New York City,
Naldi found work as an artist's model as a way of supporting her two younger siblings following the
death of her mother in 1915. It was during this time that she became one of Alberto Vargas' muses.
She would then enter vaudeville with her brother Frank. After appearing on Broadway, Naldi joined
the Ziegfeld Follies in 1918. In 1920, she was cast as the character Gina in Paramount's
1920 film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. That role would lead to her enjoying a long and active
career in film and television. One of her last performances was in the 1950s TV series Omnibus.
At 66, Naldi died in her hotel room in Queens, New York, on February 17, 1961.
Paulette Goddard
This American model and actress enjoyed a thriving career during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
She was born in Manhattan in 1914 but was raised in Kansas City. She began her career as a child
fashion model before performing in various Broadway productions
as a Ziegfeld Girl. Much like the other ladies we've discussed in this video so far, Goddard
modeled for Alberto Vargas during her years working for Florenz Ziegfeld.
In the 30s, she would move to Hollywood. While there,
she became romantically involved with Charlie Chaplin, appearing in his 1938 film Modern
Times and 1940s The Great Dictator. She then signed a contract with Paramount Pictures,
which led to her becoming one of the studio's biggest stars. Some of her most notable film
roles include credits in films like 1940s North West Mounted Police and 1943s So Proudly We Hail!
In the 1980s, Goddard became a notable socialite in Switzerland,
where she retired. She passed away at the age of 79 on April 23, 1990.
Bernadette Peters
Born on February 28, 1948, Peters' six-decade career has seen her starring in musical theater,
television, and films, performing in concerts,
and releasing records. She's also authored a critically acclaimed children's book.
For her work on Broadway, Peters has been nominated for seven Tony awards, of which she
has won two. Four of the Broadway cast albums that she has appeared on have won Grammys.
Some of her most notable Broadway stage performances include 1974s Mack and Mabel,
1985s Song and Dance, 1987s Into the Woods, 2003s Gypsy, and 2011s Follies, to name a few.
Alberto Vargas provided the artwork for two of her albums,
the first being her 1980 self-titled album and the second, her 1981 album 'Now Playing'.
A few other Vargas Girls worth mentioning include Candy Moore,
who was featured on the cover of the 1979 album Candy-O by the Cars, Ruth Etting,
who was also a Ziegfeld girl in the 1920s, and Irish McCalla, who was
best known for being the star of the hit 1950s television series, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.
Alberto Vargas continued to put
out his now-iconic works of art until his death On December 30, 1982, at the age of 86.
Which one of the Vargas Girls stands out to you as being the
most beautiful? And do you know of any other women that Alberto Vargas got to
use as models throughout his prolific career as a pin-up artist? Let us know in the comments.
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