Summary: In this episode, Devin and Lauren research the life of Audrey Munson, America’s first supermodel. Born in upstate New York, Munson was one of the most famous models of the early 20th Century, and posed for the top American artists in the Beaux Arts movement. Sculptures based on Munson dot the landscape of New York City, and are held in museums around the country. She was also one of the first American actresses to pose nude in a major motion picture. Once called “Miss Manhattan,” Munson’s life would take a tragic turn by the age of 40. In 2015, the William G. Pomeroy Foundation erected a historical marker near her final resting place in New Haven, New York. Marker: Audrey Munson, 4233 St. Rt. 104, New Haven, NY Guests: James Bone, author of The Curse of Beauty: The Scandalous and Tragic Life of Audrey Munson, America’s First Supermodel; Diane Rozas, co-author with Anita Bourne Gottehrer, of American Venus: The Extraordinary Life of Audrey Munson, Model and Muse; and Justin White, Oswego County historian A New York Minute In History is a production of the New York State Museum, WAMC, and Archivist Media, with support from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. This episode was produced by Jesse King, and features "The Entertainer" and "Unease" by Kevin MacLeod. Our theme is "Begrudge" by Darby. Further Reading: The Curse of Beauty: The Scandalous and Tragic Life of Audrey Munson, America’s First Supermodel, James Bone (2018) American Venus: The Extraordinary Life of Audrey Munson, Model and Muse, Diane Rozas and Anita Bourne Gottehrer (1999) “Audrey Munson: The Venus of Washington Square,” David Owen, The New Yorker (December 23, 2019) Teacher Resources: PBS Teachers Guide: Exploring the Politics of the Gilded Age New York City Public Art Map and Guide New York City Permanent Art and MonumentsThe Center for Women’s History: Teaching Women’s History with Primary Sources in the Classroom. Follow Along Devin: Welcome to A New York Minute in History. I'm Devin lander, the New York state historian. Lauren: And I'm Lauren Roberts, the historian for Saratoga County. We're going to the movies today – but really we're talking about a William G. Pomeroy historic marker in Oswego County. This one is in New Haven, outside a cemetery on State Route 104. And the inscription reads: “Audrey Munson. 1891-1996. Heralded as world's most famous model in early 20th century. Posed for many sculptures and civic monuments. Buried here.” Audrey Munson is widely considered America's first supermodel, but maybe not in the same sense we think of a supermodel today. She was the muse behind many of the country's civic monuments, especially in New York City. She’s said to be the model behind the “Walking Liberty” half dollar, and she also had a silent film career. But while you've probably seen Audrey Monson before, you may not have heard of her – at least, I hadn't heard about her before this. Devin: I had never heard of Audrey either. I was struck, immediately, when we read the text, that she's a supermodel at a time when that term was very new, if it existed at all, really. She lived an extraordinarily long time, and an extraordinarily interesting time. So when we dug into this topic, we found out that, as with so many of these markers, they direct us to topics that are extremely deep and extremely complex. And the Audrey Munson story is certainly that. So one of the first people we spoke to was James Bone, the author of The Curse of Beauty: The Scandalous and Tragic Life of Audrey Munson, America’s First Supermodel. James: I'm originally British, but I'm an adopted New Yorker. I was at university in New York, and then I became a newspaper correspondent in New York. And for 22 years, I was the New York correspondent of the Times of London newspaper…How’s the audio quality? I’ve got builders working across the street… Devin: James joined us on
