"Gibson Girl" - America's First Fashion Ideal

The graphic image literally crazed the Americans

At the end of the 19th and early 20th century, a role model in the world became so-called "Gibson Girl". For its time, it is something like a collecting image of the ideal woman. Like the image in the newer times, the blonde type "Barbie". The author of "Gibson Girl" is Charles Dana Gibson, an American schedule. His idea was to present the beautiful and independent American woman at the beginning of the 20th century.

The inspiration for the graphic image of the perfect woman is his sister Josephine, his wife Irina Langhorn and his four beautiful sisters. Gibson published his first illustrations in Life magazine for 30 years at the top of his career as an illustrator, and in 1918 he became editor and later owner of the "General Interests" magazine.

Charles Gibson

Charles Dana Gibson was born on September 14, 1867 in Rocksbury, Mass., In the family of Josephine Elizabeth and Charles Deulff Gibson. He have sister. Sister Josephine. Among the ancestors of the family are two American senators - James Deaufle and William Bradford. The talented youngster was showing an interest in art early and was enrolled by his parents in the New York Student League where he studied for two years.

Gibson originally gave his sketches painted with pen and ink. For the first time he sold his work in 1886 to "Life" magazine. The magazine is popular with articles of common interest, humor, illustrations and cartoons. Gibson's works appear every week in the popular edition for 30 years. The illustrator quickly builds up the reputation of a talented artist and begins to look for book illustrations. He has illustrated the weekly books of Harper, Scribners, Collier's, and others.

The great national fame of the artist comes with the "Gibson Girls" in 1890.

In the nineties of the nineteenth century, the illustrator painted a whole series of the "girl" in various household situations: how to swim, how to read, how to ride a bicycle, etc. "Gibson Girl"has a seductive figure - it has a lush breast, narrow waist and broad thighs. Her hair is "bouffant" or "pompadour" to highlight her slender swan neck. The expression on her face is mysterious - with a slight slanted look. Her lips are sensitively half open and full.

She dressed modernly, and its behavior is self-esteem and emancipation. "Gibson girl" seems so confident that she does not need to be accompanied by a man. This idea turns out to be profitable. Many American women begin to emulate Gibson's heroine not only in appearance but also in their lives - they start to go to tennis, go on a beach, go bicycles, on the streets.

The popularity of the "girl" idol becomes so great that the illustrator organizes a contest for the best contender for the role of a real "girl Gibson". The winner is Camille Clifford, a Belgian American. Until that moment she worked as an actress in minor roles. After the competition, she became so popular that she competed in popularity with the most elite ladies of America. Camille's photos literally flood fashion magazines.

Another famous model in the "Gibson Girl" style became Evelyn Nesbit. She has gained immense popularity with her image on magazines such as Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, and Cosmopolitan. For 20 years, Evelyn has been at the top of the fashion business until she cites her by name in a murder case, ending the career of one of the most profitable Gibson Girls.

When World War I began, the vision of "Gibson girl" turned out to be somewhat obscene for military time. Slowly but surely, the image of the beauties begins to descend from the scene.

Charles Gibson died on 23 December 1944, but his name was recorded in the Golden Fund of Fine Arts as one of the best graphics and illustrators in the world.