Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-12-21
BEAUTIES FOR SALE.


"Photographs of English and Amer
can society ladies for sale here" read
the card in Broadway window u
town. Around the announcement wer
hung photographs Of prominent celebri
ties and well-known beauties. Inside
the store was throngcd with customers
handsomely-dressed ladies and faultesl,
| attlred men, all porting over great pack.
OF photographs. wait of half an hou
brought the proprietor to the front witt
the apology that because OF new de
parture in the selling of photographs he
had hardly time to attend to the wants
OF his customers.
"What is the latest attraction? Why
haven't you heard? 1t is the attraction
that beauty - especially American
beauty-has for all of u.s. A number o.
New York society ladies have permitted
their photographs to be put on sale, ,..and
this is the result" indicating the
crowded store. 81 cannot supply the
demand fast enough, and am entirely
out OF the best-selling beauties. L knew
there would be great call for these
pictures, of course, but i had no idea
that the protfer of photograph OF few
simple American girls would produc,
such craze. Why, sir, during til,
short time that the photograph of Frank
Works beautiful daughter has been in
my window have sold 600 copies of it
at least, and am kept busy continually
ordering more. And this Brooklyn
girl, too," taking up card from which
the piquant face of a fluffy blonde looked
out, "has sold almost equally we'll
Why do they sell SO rapidly? For the
same reason, | suppose, that people &c
wild over the mutilated Venus of Milo.
! knew no better reason"
Further up Broadway, near Madison
square, Charles l.. Ritzman advertised
photographs of beauties and celebrities
from all over the world. Said he:
81 have been trying for years to in
duce American ladies i'm society here to
place their photographs on sale and am
at last succeeding. With the advance
OF cultivation and wealth this public
display of personal charms was bound
to come in, just as fox-hunting and Wallets
at the opera have been introduced.
Some people may call it straining after
English effect, or kind of Anglomania,
but it is nothing of the kind~ 1t is
simply carrying out the noblesse oblige
idea of the upper classes. would, if
called upon, put the matter in this
light: The daughters and wives of
Fifth avenue and Murray Hill possess
wealth, social position, and beauty.
They cannot very easily divide the
former among the hoi palloi-the COM
mon people-but they can let the public
share, in a certain limited way, in their
beauty. And in doing this l think
they deserve praise"
"Apart from this desire to benefit the
public, have the ladies no personal
feeling in this departure
"There is such a sentiment as vanity,
and our New York bellies, when they
place their photographs on sale, are not
wholly uninfluenced by it. l see no
reason why Il woman, simply because
she is in private life, should hide the
light of her beauty under bushel."
$50 they rather enjoy the innocent
notoriety?"
"Why not? Look at the ilustrious
examples after whom they copy. Here
are photographs of every royal person.
age in Europe, and should not American
queensof society have equal privileges?
"Who would not prefer a photograph
of Mrs. w. h. Vanderbilt, Mrs. Gerald
Hoyat, Miss Fannie Swan, or Miss
Marion Langdon to one of the baby
faced Princess Maria Christina, King
Alfonso's much-talked of wife, or of the
Princess of Wales. There are few New
York bellies that are not more beautiful
in face and form than any of these whom
the public delights to honor" spread
ing out portraits of Lady Donsdale, Lady
Dudley, Lady Castlereagh, and Mrs.
CORVALLIS West"
"It is a pity" he continued, with
some warmth, "that our native beauties
should not be permitted to take rank at
the top of the list where they properly
belong, and any feeling which prevents
the public exhibition of their charms is
false modesty, to say the least. This
city will of course take the initiative in
introducing this custom and the pro-
vincial cities will naturally follow. A
few sensible, courageous ladies have
opened the way, and in a very short
time shall offer to the public photo
graphs of nearly every lady Of pro-
minence within the charmed circle.
feel really ashamed to see such de-
mand for Mrs. Langtry's pictures when
here are dozen cultivated American
girls with face and figure far outshinine
the English actress"
| "Will these ladies receive commissions
from the sale of their likenesses?'
"Certainly not. The idea is absured
If the fair ones needed money their at
titude towards the public would bs
changed anu their pheteeraplss-wo -woull
be worthless.
Resuming his gossip after escapin!
from fastidious customer who detained
him half an hour in purchasing ont
picture, he said: "There is anothe
good that will result from the genera
introduction of this English system o
public photogra phs. Young men viii
be enabled to possess themselves o
the portraits of their lady acquaintance
without embarrassment to themselves o
to the ladies in question. Many ladie
would be glad to have such souveni
in possession of their male friends, bu
the picture cannot be well made a gift
This, YOU see. offers Il safe way out 4
the dilema."
Among the photographs OF America
beauties which sold best were those c
the Hon. Mrs. Roche, nee Fanny Work
daughter of Frank Work, and Lad
Randolph Churchill, nee Miss Jerom,
daughter of Leonard W. Jerome.
a large demand was expected for tn
pictures OF Mr.. Nanderbilts daughter
Lady Vaudeville, and that OF Mis-
Chamberlayne, which had been ordere(
A grocer grossly insulted Mrs. NJ
Coffin the other day without intendin
il. She was an immensely stout woman