The Latest Statistics

Starting tomorrow, I'm embarking on a fourth series of beautiful women in dance - and, just between you and me, not every beautiful woman is a dancer, but most female dancers are in fact beautiful women. :-) But, before I get to that, I'd like to show you the latest all-time statistics, which Blogger.com began compiling for all of its bloggers in May 2008. Feel free to click on the image below to make it bigger.

There are a couple of surprises here.  After only a month or so, eighties model Sheila Johnson is no longer the most popular subject on this blog.  That honor now goes to NBC reporter Kristen Welker, as my entry depicting her (posted in July 2011) is 59 pageviews short of 10,000 views for all time.  My original entry depicting Sheila Johnson, posted in September 2009 - there have been seven more entries depicting Sheila Johnson since - has slipped to a distant but still respectable second place with 7,065 pageviews.  Model/actress Joan Severance gets on the medal podium in third place, as my entry depicting her (posted in February 2011) is right behind those first two entries, with 5,349 pageviews.  And, while none of my entries in my three previous series devoted to dancers show up here, perennial favorites Kaley Cuoco, Crystal Egger, Erin Gray, and Meg Ryan remain solidly in the top ten.    

I'm actually pleased that Kristen Welker is my number one subject here, for two reasons.  The first reason involves her background.  I don't normally like to call attention to race here - it should be obvious to anyone who's followed this blog from the start that, when it comes to women's physical features, I don't see race, only beauty - but the fact that Kristen Welker, the offspring of an interracial (black-white) marriage, is so popular here gives me hope for America's future.  Fifty years ago, whites and blacks couldn't marry in certain states, and biracial Americans were dismissed as "mongrels" and "half-breeds."  Today, I have visitors to this blog finding a biracial woman attractive, without regard to her background, and she's not only beautiful, she's an accomplished journalist and respected professional figure.  It means that Kristen Welker is being  accepted on all levels and is not being degraded for her origins.

The second reason I'm pleased that Kristen Welker is so popular here is because she's from Philadelphia. ;-) 

Now, here's the other surprise.  With the TV series "How I Met Your Mother" more popular than ever, you'd think that Canadian actress Cobie Smulders, one of that show's stars, would still be among my ten most popular subjects.  Not any more.  My second entry devoted to her (posted in March 2012) got displaced by my entry for Somalian model Waris Dirie (posted in January 2010), who is not a household name like her fellow Somalian countrywoman Iman.  That's why it's a surprise.  The Waris Dirie post comes in at number ten with 1,013 pageviews, and so she replaces Cobie Smulders as the only non-American subject in my top ten.         

Right, I'm going on and on too much.  Stay tuned for the start of my fourth "Beauty of Dance" series tomorrow! :-) 

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Multicultural Beauty

This picture is a rainbow coalition of beautiful models from different races, taken from a Danskin leotard ad.

Cool mirror effect! ;-)

You will no doubt recognize the models on either end of the picture - they're both named Beverly. That's Beverly Lee on the left, with Beverly Johnson on the right. The woman in the middle is Barbara Minty, whom I featured in October 2012.

 This picture should demonstrate quite clearly that feminine beauty comes in all colors. :-)

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Roshumba Williams

Roshumba Williams has grown more iconic in the modeling trade since I first featured the Chicago-born beauty in December 2009.

She's gone beyond modeling, having served as a substitute for Mary Hart on "Entertainment Tonight" (although no one could actually "substitute" for Mary Hart, just as no one could ever replace her now that she's no longer on that show), and she's also hosted lifestyle programs such as "Amazing Homes" and "Beautiful Homes" on the HGTV cable TV channel.

Roshumba (she's one of those celebrities for whom a single name can suffice) still maintains a short hairdo - sometimes curled, sometimes straight - which, of course, has always been her signature style.   

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Eva Voorhees

I'm always happy to feature again Eva Voorhees, who became a model at the very time models were becoming known by their names as well as their faces - all of them, not just a select few - and so became one of the most famous cover girls of the 1980s.

With her Raphael-like features and her girl-next-door disposition, the California-born Ms. Voorhees was a natural for modeling stardom.

She has devoted her time to preserving the work of most of her peers as well as her own on her Supermodel Icons web page (there's already a link to it in the "Links" section in the upper right corner of this blog), and she is also active in animal welfare, having done commendable work to rescue dogs.   

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Rosie Vela

There was a time when models in fashion magazines almost never got a credit, though credits for the photographer, hairstylist, etc. were always provided. Rosie Vela was one model who always insisted on a credit. So if there's a reason that we know the names of the lovely women in editorial and commercial fashion shoots today, Rosie Vela is probably it. :-) 

 And so I feature her here again, in this picture from 1977 . . . with a credit.

The photographer, the makeup artist, and all that? Sorry,  I can't remember. :-D

Rosie Vela proved as a model that she was capable of anything she set her mind to, which turned out to be music.  And if you've heard anything from her 1986 album ZaZu, you know she excels at that.

:-) 

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Catherine Roberts

It takes a model of great elegance and class to wear upscale clothes in black-and-white print ads. And in the 1970s, fewer models were more suited to the task than Catherine Roberts.

This is Catherine Roberts wearing a fur stole to complement a very sexy dress.  The photo is from a 1976 ad for Maximilian Furs, known for their rather direct slogan, "It's got to be a Maximilian."

As with many models, though, Catherine Roberts is not like the persona she projects in her ads - least of all, this ad.  You'll be pleased to know that she's an animal rights activist and would never wear fur in real life. :-) 

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Margrit Ramme

With a perfectly contoured face, her platinum blonde hair, and her stellar blue eyes, German fashion and beauty model Margrit Ramme is undeniably a woman of extraordinary beauty.

These two photos, both of which are from cosmetics ads, certainly make that clear. I don't know which cosmetics brand the above photo is for, but the one below is from a Max Factor ad.

Of course, makeup doesn't give Margrit Ramme her beauty - it only accentuates it. :-)

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Beverly Lee

Beverly Lee may have opened doors for models of East Asian descent, but how many of them loom as large as she does?

While a good deal of them have established their own reputations, Beverly Lee herself is simply a tough act to follow.  She has a regal, elegant appearance that's all her own, as well as a presence that few if any models of any ethnicity can match.

In addition to her modeling work in America, Beverly Lee has worked extensively in Japan and in several European countries. She's appeared on numerous fashion magazine covers, and, as noted in my original January 2012 post, on several fashion show runways - as the picture below illustrates.

And even when she's appeared in an ad that comes dangerously close to ethnic stereotyping, as in the photo below . . .

. . . her class has remained intact.

Oh yeah, her Web site is back online! Go here to check it out. :-)

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Sheila Johnson

From one Johnson to another . . . :-)

Sheila Johnson is a model I very much enjoy revisiting.  She was ubiquitous at the height of her career, having done numerous editorial and advertising assignments, and these two pictures are examples of each.  The above photo is from a 1979 editorial shot for Essence magazine, while the picture below is from the long-running Napier costume jewelry campaign. 

I have already featured several Napier ads featuring Ms. Johnson on this blog.  This is yet one more.  :-) 

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Beverly Johnson, Again

I couldn't resist adding another picture of Beverly Johnson. This too is from the February 1975 U.S. edition of Vogue, like the second photo of the previous entry. Both were taken by Richard Avedon.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot: Our heroine turned sixty in October 2012. :-)

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Beverly Johnson

For all of her strong, athletic looks, Beverly Johnson projected and projects still one of the softest, most alluring presences in modeling.

The above photo is from a September 1975 U.S. Vogue editorial on hair styling. :-) The picture below is also from the U.S. edition of Vogue, from February 1975.

Beverly Johnson is one of the reasons - maybe the reason - I'm not racist.  Her exotic looks showed me that there is beauty in women of all colors.   Which means that there's inner beauty in all people of all colors. :-) 

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Patti Hansen

My original post devoted to model Patti Hansen, from July 2008, used a very small picture, and it was not one of her best poses.  So here's a bigger picture showing Mrs. Keith Richards striking a much better pose! :-)

She's been married to the Rolling Stones' longtime guitarist and occasional singer since 1983, and they have two daughters, Theodora and Alexandra.  (Ted and Alex?)

You'll be pleased to know that the Richards sisters look much more like their mom. :-D

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Karen Graham

Recently I showed a picture of Shaun Casey from the Estée Lauder ad campaign, taken in 1982. Here's a picture of her "big sister" Estée Lauder model, Karen Graham, also from 1982.

And boy, does she look good in red. Wow, even her ring is red!

Karen Graham was to the Lauder company's ads what Johnny Carson was to late-night television.  In the eleven years that she was the exclusive model for Estée Lauder, she captured people's imaginations like no Lauder model had before or has since.  She inspired many women to adopt her look - the whole point of the ads - and she most certainly drew the attention of men with an appreciation for classic, elegant beauty.  Not bad for a nice girl from Gulfport, Mississippi. 

Karen Graham has no place in 1970s modeling.  She was 1970s modeling. :-) 

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Clotilde

This is glamour photo of legendary model Kristin Clotilde Holby, but to leave it at that would be like calling St. Peter's Basilica a neighborhood church in Rome.

Clotilde was Ralph Lauren's spokesmodel at the time this picture was taken, though this picture emphasizes beauty more than fashion. It's from a 1981 article in Time magazine about a new generation of models who were becoming as celebrated as the products they promoted and the designers they worked for. 

This was the first picture of Clotilde that I ever saw, beginning a lifelong infatuation that continues to this day. :-)

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Shaun Casey

Here's a soft, inviting picture of Shaun Casey from her stint as a spokesmodel for Estée Lauder in the early eighties. For the record, this comes from a 1982 print ad.

She was under contract concurrently with Karen Graham, the first time (but not the only time) the Lauder company used more than one spokesmodel simultaneously.  

Check out her role as the girlfriend of Tony Lacey (played  by Paul Simon) in Woody Allen's Annie Hall.  As I'm sure I noted before, she got more time on screen and more lines than two extras who went on to bigger things - Jeff Goldblum and Sigourney Weaver.

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Model Edition: Laura Alvarez

I originally featured groundbreaking Hispanic fashion model Laura Alvarez last November (2011), and I'm more than happy to feature her here again. :-)

This is a picture of Ms. Alvarez by Richard Avedon for the February 1975 U.S. issue of Vogue.  A similar photo from the same session and magazine issue was featured here in my original post for Ms. Alvarez.  Biographical data on her remains scant, though.  I did find out that she's originally from Venezuela.  

Storm Update

Hurricane Sandy knocked my electricity out for six days, and despite getting it back yesterday, I still have no cable service at home, and I'm working from my local library.  A full account of my storm ordeal is available at this blog's sister blog, Miscellaneous Musings, with the specific entry on my storm here. 

I have some retrospective posts - all concerning models - lined up for the month of November, and they should sustain me until I get my cable service restored, which hopefully won't be a long wait. I'll be posting every two or three days in the near future, with the hope of more of a frequency later, but I'm pretty much back.  So here comes a retrospective post. :-)