• Intelligencer
  • The Cut
  • Vulture
  • The Strategist
  • Curbed
  • Grub Street
  • Subscribe to the Magazine Give a Gift Subscription Buy Back Issues Current Issue Contents
    Subscribe to New York Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Profile
    Sign Out
The Cut
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
Style
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Shopping
  • Design Hunting
  • New York Weddings
  • Parties & Red Carpet
  • Fashion Shows
  • Cathy Horyn
Self
  • Health & Wellness
  • Motherhood
  • Advice
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Science of Us
  • Horoscopes
  • Ask Polly
Culture
  • Books
  • Television
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Celebrity
Power
  • Politics
  • Work
  • Money
  • Rebecca Traister
More
  • Latest Stories
  • Video
  • About Us
  • The Cut Shop
  • nymag.com
  • New York Magazine
  • Intelligencer
  • Vulture
  • The Cut
  • The Strategist
  • Grub Street
vintage slideshow
July 17, 2014

Beyond Jean Harlow: Rarely Seen Photos of Glamorous Black Women

By Allison P. Davis

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
Photo: Walter Iooss Jr/Getty Images

“Vintage Hollywood glamour” usually calls to mind images of Audrey Hepburn, Jean Harlow, Grace Kelly — all those silver-screen goddesses who appear on posters and populate coffee-table books. But the people those photo collections don’t usually include are the black singers, actresses, and starlets who were living an equally glamorous existence in front of flashbulbs.

Where are the portraits of Dorothy Dandridge? The party shots of Eartha Kitt? Writer Nichelle Gainer wondered the same thing when she started researching for a novel about black beauty pageants and uncovered stunning, little-seen images. Three years ago she started a Tumblr, Vintage Black Glamour, and it’s now scheduled to become a coffee-table book set for release later this summer.

The shots, ranging from 1900 to 1980, feature faces both familiar and unfamiliar, iconic portraits and  unknowns, but all the women featured helped break down color lines, revolutionizing Hollywood just by existing beautifully.

Here’s a sneak peek of images from Gainer’s forthcoming collection, featuring the Supremes going airplane chic, Lena Horne sitting front row at Pierre Balmain, and the other celebrities and civil rights activists who embodied a rarely considered definition of Hollywood glamour.niche

View
1 / 12 Photos
Chorus Girls at Harlem Theater, 1936  Photo: Lucien Aigner/© Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
Aretha Franklin, 1969  Photo: Lipchitz/AP1960
Lena Horne at Pierre Balmain, 1960  Photo: Lipchitz/AP1960
Diana Ross, c. 1970  Photo: Michael Ochs Archives
Josephine Baker, 1920  Photo: -/2009 AFP
The Supremes, 1965  Photo: Evening Standard
Lola Falana, 1973  Photo: Mondadori/Mondadori Portfolio
Nina Simone, 1965  Photo: Teenie Harris Archive/Carnegie M
Dorothy Dandridge, 1954  Photo: Allan Grant./Time & Life Pictures
Naomi Sims, 1969  Photo: Yale Joel/Time Life Pictures
Josephine Premice, 1951  Photo: Kurt Hutton
Princess Kouka of Sudan, 1937  Photo: Frank Shaw
1 / 12

Tags:

  • slideshow
  • vintage slideshow
  • black glamour
  • vintage black glamour
  • lena horne
  • aretha franklin
  • diana ross
  • josephine baker
  • nina simone
  • slideshows
  • More

More Galleries

campaign trail Jan. 28, 2021
 The Best Fashion Campaigns From Spring 2021  This season’s best from Prada, Versace, Miu Miu, and more. 
By Florence O'Connor
in memoriam Dec. 30, 2020
30 Incredible Fashion Moments From Pierre Cardin  Remembering a creative visionary. 
By Andrew Nguyen
rest in power Dec. 23, 2020
A Photo Memorial for an Iconic Model  She passed away suddenly at the age of 50 this week. 
campaign trail Nov. 18, 2020
‘Tis the Season for New Fashion Ads  See the best ones from Gucci, Prada, Versace, and more. 
By Emily Burns
nyfw spring 2021 Oct. 26, 2020
How a Great Collection Comes Alive  Christopher John Rogers launched its first-ever online shop, along with a new campaign. 
By Andrew Nguyen
campaign trail Sept. 24, 2020
See the Fashion Campaigns for Fall 2020  From Prada, Michael Kors, Celine, Louis Vuitton, and more. 
By Andrew Nguyen
nyfw spring 2021 Sept. 22, 2020
See the Coach Spring 2021 Collection  Worn by Megan Thee Stallion, Kate Moss, Cole Sprouse, and more. 
By Andrew Nguyen
fashion Sept. 16, 2020
The Stunning Awkwardness of Face Masks on the Red Carpet  Celebrities tried to make the best of a strange situation at the 2020 Venice Film Festival. 
one word one shot Sept. 15, 2020
72 Designers on Their Spring/Summer Inspirations  Just in time for Fashion Week. 
By the Cut
red carpet Sept. 8, 2020
This Red Carpet Was Totally Surreal  But also amazing. See all the looks at the Venice Film Festival. 
By Emilia Petrarca and Andrew Nguyen
in memoriam Aug. 31, 2020
Remembering Chadwick Boseman on the Red Carpet  His style was bold, risk-taking, and always impeccable. 
the wedding files Aug. 21, 2020
The Design-Minded Couple Who Didn’t Want to Try Too Hard  The bride got a wonderful surprise the morning of her wedding. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files Aug. 14, 2020
A Costa Rica Wedding During the Rainy Season  Thunder roared during the toasts. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files Aug. 7, 2020
A San Francisco Wedding at a Big, Empty Pier  The bride changed into crushed-velvet pants for the disco-infused reception. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files July 31, 2020
An Elopement Among the Lupines in Iceland  The late afternoon was spent snapping photos near waterfalls and black beaches. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files July 24, 2020
A Pennsylvania Potluck for 280 People  “I looked at her for the first time and had this feeling like, You. I know you.” 
By Kaitlin Menza
milan fashion week July 22, 2020
Behind the Scenes at Gucci’s Virtual Show  Instead of models, members of the design team sported the eccentric collection. 
By Andrew Nguyen
the wedding files July 17, 2020
A Dance Party Under Puerto Rican Palm Trees  Bad Bunny blasted and pitorro flowed. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files July 10, 2020
A Zoom Wedding Only Two Digital Creatives Could Produce  The couple coordinated multiple video segments, breakout rooms, and a dance party. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files July 3, 2020
The Anti-Spectacle Wedding That Turned Into a Spectacle  Brooklyn Bridge Park was the site of their first date, proposal, and wedding. 
By Kaitlin Menza
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Help
  • We’re Hiring
  • Press
  • Trademark
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Ad Choices
  • Do Not Sell My Info
The Cut is a Vox Media Network. © 2021 Vox Media, LLC. All rights reserved.