At the risk of beating this subject to death I found the following for Eric Augustus used New York's most famous model at the time as inspiration for Diana, Julia "Dudie" Baird, who posed for many artists and whose body has inspired more than a few pieces throughout the city, including the golden Victory at Manhattan's Grand Army Plaza. An effervescent personality, "Dudie," as friends called her, was out on her own at an early age. Her father, an immigrant from Glasgow with seven children to support, often struggled to make ends meet. Even so, the family disowned their daughter when she became a showgirl. She traveled with a touring theatrical company, and as a model she merited front-page coverage in the New York Herald Tribune. Dudie survived by her wits unmarried, a free spirit, and a prankster who never ceased to amuse the artists for whom she posed. Who knew (or cared) except for the part where she became a "showgirl" hooray |
Saturday, November 17, 2012
From Chic Silber #1
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8 comments:
Chic,
Thanks for posting this information. (I was more familiar with Evelyn Nesbitt, having seen the movie THE GIRL ON THE RED VELVET SWING years ago. Evelyn was only 9 when DIANA II was put into place on the roof of MSG. Her husband Harry K. Thaw later shot Stanford White in the MSG Rooftop Theater in 1906.)
Never saw that film (don't do film)
But Evelyn was a featured character
in the Broadway musical (& film of)
"Ragtime:" where she sang "Crime Of
The Century" which ended with the
line "And Now I'm The Girl On The
Swing"
The original cast album has some
really terrific music & both Marin
Mazzie & Brian Stokes Mitchell do
haunting numbers & my only regret
is that a song from the preBroadway
tryout in Toronto sung by Evelyn
& Harry Houdini titled "That's The
Showbiz" didn't make the transfer
A truly great comedy duet number
(I happen to have it Eric)
I swear somewhere in my "files" I have a photo I took of Ms baird years ago (she was of course quite elderly) in the St Gaudens studio.
If it was not she it was definitely a lady who was a St Gaudens model as I was told about her presence by the head ranger Jeff Schwarz, who suggested that I might like to take a photo. My recollection is that she was a lovely lady and delighted to pose for a "young" admirer.
Ain't this Blog just about the best danged thing on the internet?!
And it all started for us on the back lot of the BAC years ago, which is when I found out I had Woodcock pics from the '70's.
"Damn everything, but the Circus!"
Paul
Thee ater aint bad neither Paul
Records show that Julia Baird died
in 1932 at 60 years of age Paul
Chic, now I've got to try to find out who the lady was and for what piece(s) she posed for. I wasn't even a gleam in my Father's eye in '32.
Thee ater yes, but it's not Buckles' Blog.
Chic, have you ever heard of Cathleen Nesbitt ??
Paul
Fortunately for me the Brigadier
allows some indiscretions before
his 1st coffee
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