Ziegfeld 101: The Ziegfeld Girls

Ziegfeld101 The Ziegfeld Girls by John Kenrick The photos below are thumbnails – click on them to see full size versions.	Much has been said and written about the Ziegfeld Girls, those now legendary ladies of beauty, elegance and glamour. Here are some memorable images from the Musicals101 archives.

Ziegfeld never missed an opportunity to publicize his second wife, Billie Burke. Here she is on the playbill cover for Simple Simon – a show she had no connection with. More photos of her appeared inside, but you won't find one of the show's star, comedian Ed Wynn.
Ziegfeld loved to find no-cost ways for his productions to publicize each other. Marilyn Miller never appeared in Show Boat, but this portrait of her graced that musical's program cover. Billie Burke had a full page photo inside, but she could not have been thrilled to see her husband's sometime mistress on the cover.
As early as the 1911 Follies, Ziegfeld spoofed his own ideas of beauty and glamour. Note the object of this love struck beau's affections.
Katherine Burke (no relation to Billie) handles one of the massive headdresses designer John Harkrider turned into a Ziegfeld girl trademark
Lillian Lorraine, who's heavy drinking and scandalous lifestyle took her from Follies stardom to destitution in her later years.
When Marilyn Miller graduated from the Follies, toe dancer Mary Eaton took her place. Attractive and a superior dancer, she enjoyed immediate popularity.
Jean Ackerman, Jean Audree, Myrna Darby and Evelyn Groves in costumes by John Herkrider -- some more revealing than others.
Ziegfeld had the lovely Dolores silently parade about the Follies stage in magnificent costumes -- including this much-admired lace fan which she wore in the Midnight Frolic. Remnants of this delicate piece still exist in the Museum of the City of New York's costume collection.
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