Harmon’s Histories: 100 years ago, Missoula sought its greatest beauty
Jim Harmon
“Who is the most perfect physical specimen of young womanhood in Missoula or western Montana?"
The question was posed 100 years ago by The Daily Missoulian newspaper, in launching its “sequel to Miss America.”
No – this was most certainly not a beauty pageant! The paper went out of its way to make that clear: “This competition is for PHYSICAL PERFECTION, not beauty!”
It pointed to its purely scientific basis:
Of course, in case of a tie the paper admitted “beauty of face as well as form will be the deciding factor.”
So yes, it was a beauty contest.
Every woman, 15 to 30 years of age, was encouraged to enter "from Missoula, the Bitter Root, Flathead, Blackfoot and Frenchtown valleys and as far east as Deer Lodge.”
The timing of the contest was tied to the release of the Paramount movie called “The American Venus,” starring Fay Lanphier, which was to open at Missoula’s Rialto theater on March 14, 15 and 16, 1926.
Miss Lanphier, from San Francisco, had recently been named Miss America.
A press release stated “a committee of the country’s leading sculptors, physicians, and physical culture directors selected Miss Lanphier as the most perfect specimen of physical proportions in America – and adopted her measurements as representing the ideal of young womanhood.”
Paramount Motion Pictures quickly secured “the exclusive rights to photograph the contestants and the lavish fashion show in which they appeared on the famous boardwalk.”
“They wove these gorgeous scenes into a photo-play called, Fay Lanphier with Fay Lanphier playing the prominent role.”
Locally, The Missoulian newspaper felt its hometown and other western Montana cities and towns had just as many “girls as beautiful and shapely as Miss Lanphier. Hence this contest has been started to find The American Venus of this region.”
It asked contestants to send a letter including “a photograph of yourself, preferably in a bathing suit, so your figure will be revealed.”
“If possible try to avoid sending Kodak pictures that are very small, since these will not show up. Wear one and one half inch heel slippers. Stockings may be rolled up.”
“In taking the measurements, apply the tape measure SNUGLY, but not really tight. And, do not send incorrect measurements, since – even if you were called in the final judging – the error would be discovered and you would be ruled out.”
Entries had to be in two days before the showing of the movie “The American Venus” at the local Rialto theater.
A group of “prominent Missoula citizens” was created to “carefully go over the photographs and measurements sent in by contestants,” and weed out those who “obviously have no chance” of winning.”
The top three finalists were to receive “cash awards totaling $90 in gold, besides other valuable trophies.”
And the winners were:
Congratulations to the western Montana “American Venus” winners of 1926!
And remember - “This competition was for PHYSICAL PERFECTION, not beauty!”