African American Fashion History Black Models and Beauty Pageants Expanding Representation in Midcentury America 1960s–1970s

African American Beauty Pageant

Photograph

Photo archive of African American fashion models and a regional beauty pageant winner, 1960s–1970s, documents Black women’s participation in commercial modeling and organized pageantry during a period of changing representation in American media. The images center on professional studio photography and promotional portraiture, recording how Black women were presented within fashion and beauty industries that had long limited their inclusion. The archive includes a press photograph of Fern Tresvan, crowned Miss Black Colorado and advanced to national competition at Madison Square Garden, alongside a sustained series of modeling images of Carol King, a Los Angeles based model whose career intersected with music and entertainment industries.

Seven black and white silver gelatin photographs, most measuring approximately 8 x 10 inches with one elongated print measuring about 5 x 10 inches. Six studio photographs depict Carol King across multiple shoots in Los Angeles, attributed to Models International and Greg Mendes studios, showing variations in hairstyle, dress, and pose over roughly a decade. Early images show King in a poolside setting with short hair, while later photographs present her in a range of late 1960s and early 1970s fashions, including a belted one piece swimsuit with heels, a sleeveless dress posed against a leopard patterned textile, a mini dress, and a long sleeve floral gown. The remaining photograph is a 1971 press image of Tresvan documenting her title as Miss Black Colorado and participation in national pageant competition.

Produced during the decades surrounding the Civil Rights Movement, the archive situates Black women within expanding but still contested spaces of visual culture, fashion, and public recognition. The combination of studio modeling and pageant imagery reflects parallel avenues through which African American women gained visibility in print media and public events, supporting research into race, gender, and representation in mid twentieth century American culture. Minor edge wear; prints remain clean and well preserved; overall very good condition.

Item #20885

Price: $550.00