Happy New Year!

As of now, I have posted pictures of 299 different women on my blog since I started it. I've been especially busy these last few months, and while I expect to proceed at a slower pace going into 2010, I'll still have plenty of new pictures and new subjects to share with you. I should be doing a new special series sometime in the not-so-distant future, as well.

That's it for 2009! Happy new year. :-)

The Beauty of Retrospect, Special Supermodel Edition: Rosie Vela

Rosie Vela - whom I originally featured in August 2008 - is easily one of the most artistically talented women to ever pursue a modeling career. As I noted back then, she's a singer-songwriter. She has expressed personal satisfaction for being able to compose songs.

The above photo clearly shows her in her element, even though she's actually a keyboardist. :-)

Although Rosie Vela's Zazu album went unnoticed in the U.S. when it was released in 1986 (largely because some single-named, helium-voiced, no-talent disco singer from Michigan was grabbing all the attention), Rosie had better luck in Britain, where her album peaked at number twenty and where her single "Magic Smile" was a Top Thirty hit.


Although she never recorded another album, Rosie Vela has remained active in music as a backing vocalist.

The Beauty of Retrospect, Special Supermodel Edition: Beverly Johnson

Here are some more pictures of Beverly Johnson. Here's a 1975 photo in black and white . . .

. . . and a 1982 color photo.

The color photograph is from the same Francesco Scavullo book I got the earlier picture of Beverly Johnson without makeup from. As gorgeous as she looks above, I still prefer her natural look, which is why I'm featuring it again here . . .

. . . in sepia form. :-)

Model/actress Roshumba Williams

Long, tall and lean, Roshumba Williams caused an immediate sensation when fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent discovered her in Paris.

The Chicago-born model has left and indelible impression on fashion runways and in various photos. She became famous for her original short hairstyle.

As an actress, Roshumba Williams has appeared in Pret-a-Porter and Celebrity. She also wrote a modeling guidebook.

Eva Voorhees Close Up

I conclude my series on supermodel Eva Voorhees with this close-up picture - taken, like the previous eight, from her Web site.

Today Eva Voorhees is an an active archivist of the work of high-profile fashion models. A link to her site, Supermodel Icons, is available in the upper right hand corner of this blog's main page, as is a link to her own Web site.

I still have a few more pictures to share before the start of the new year. Stay tuned.

Eva Voorhees In Valentino

Eva Voorhees modeled for many clients, including Valentino, whose dress she wears in the picture below.

She arrived on the scene in the late 1970s just as models were becoming mainstream celebrities with name recognition, a distinction that had eluded most models before then.

Eva Voorhees, Continued

Here are two more pictures of Eva Voorhees on this Christmas Eve.

The top picture features her in a Valentino ensemble; the other is by photographer Eric Boman for the U.K. edition of Vogue.

Eva Voorhees has also done numerous cosmetics ads in addition to her editorial and other commercial modeling. L'Oreal, Revlon, and Avon are among the cosmetics brands she's represented.

More of Eva Voorhees

Eva Voorhees was instantly recognizable by her long, wavy hair, but she also looks great in softer, straighter hairstyles.

The picture above is from Harper's Bazaar, the one below from her catalog work.

These are just two of the many lovely pictures in Eva Voorhees' massive portfolio, and by the time this week is over, I'll only have scratched the surface.

Eva Voorhees, Again

Here's Eva Voorhees in a photograph that was featured in the New York Times Magazine.

In addition to lucrative editorial shots for the Times, Vogue, and Cosmopolitan, among other publications, Eva Voorhees was in big demand for advertising copy. Ads for Anne Klein, Christian Dior, Wamsutta bedding, Leslie Fay dresses, Sakes Fifth Avenue, and the now-defunct San Francisco upscale department store I. Magnin are among the many advertisers represented in her portfolio, and I haven't even mentioned her cosmetics ads yet.

Eva Voorhees In Profile

Here's my second picture of Eva Voorhees, a stunning profile picture, taken from the right.

The outline of her face is absolutely perfect here. The photography was the work of Rico Puhlmann. :-)

Supermodel Eva Voorhees

Today I start another week-long tribute to a high-profile fashion model from the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Eva Voorhees gained notoriety for her numerous magazine covers and advertisements. A California native, she could easily be one of those dreamy girls from the Golden State that the Beach Boys always sang about.

This all-American portrait appeared in the British edition of Vogue, photographed by Eric Boman. It's one of her best photos.

Also, today is her birthday. :-)

British actress Kristin Scott Thomas

Kristin Scott Thomas got her first big break as an actress in Prince's 1986 vanity movie Under the Cherry Moon.

But she went on to have a successful film career anyway. :-D

The Cornwall-born actress has been in a staple in American, British and French cinema. She's best known for her roles in three movies of the 1990s, Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), The English Patient (1996), and The Horse Whisperer (1998, with Robert Redford). Having also acquired French nationality, Kristin Scott Thomas has been featured in French films such as Tell No One and I've Loved You So Long.

She became a member of the French Legion d'honneur in 2005.

Catherine Roberts Today

One of the most extraordinarily beautiful models of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Catherine Roberts remains as lovely as ever today.

Both of these pictures were taken this year (2009).

And her eyes remain an undeniably prominent feature.

Alas, this concludes my week-long tribute to Catherine Roberts, and, as always, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed presenting it. :-)

Catherine Roberts In Lace

Here's Catherine Roberts in a lace shirt, in a picture offered by Zoli, her second modeling agency.

Catherine Roberts moved the the Zoli agency from Wilhelmina, and then her career really took off. She appeared in advertisements for numerous beauty products and upscale stores. The brand names she became associated with include Max Factor, Revlon, Coty, Clairol, Helena Rubinstein, Elizabeth Arden, Avon, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue. This is only a partial list. There wasn't a single major publication that didn't feature a print ad with Catherine Roberts in it. :-)

She was also featured in advertising campaigns for products such as sunglasses, watches, handbags and jewelry, as well as automobiles, liquor, and frozen dinners.

Catherine Roberts, In Black and White

As stunning as Catherine Roberts looks photographed in color, she looks just as arresting in a black-and-white picture like this one.

And the wet hair adds a nice touch. :-)

Catherine Roberts, Continued

Because she modeled primarily for cosmetics ads, Catherine Roberts accumulated a portfolio dominated largely by pictures focusing on her lovely face. But there were several pictures that took advantage of her voluptuous figure. This photo is one of them. Interestingly enough, it too is from a cosmetics ad - for Almay.

The dress accentuates her form perfectly.

More Of Catherine Roberts

The first thing you notice about Catherine Roberts is her eyes. :-)

She has a lovely pair of wonderfully deep, dark brown eyes. They give her face a vivid and engaging look.

It's a look that made her popular with advertisers and agencies alike. :-)

Catherine Roberts, Again

Catherine Roberts proved to be an ideal model for cosmetics. Her perfect, elegant look was well-suited for it.

She became a spokesmodel for L’Oreal and Charles of the Ritz, appearing in nationwide advertising for both cosmetics brands. The picture above is from a Charles of the Ritz ad.

Supermodel Catherine Roberts

Few high-profile fashion and cosmetics models were as visible in the late 1970s and early 1980s as Catherine Roberts, whose regal features commanded the attention of numerous advertisers.

Catherine Roberts established a reputation for herself as one of the most extraordinarily beautiful models of her day. She was distinguished for her long, dark hair, her voluptuous figure, and, standing six feet tall, her commanding stature.

She was sought after from the moment she signed to Wilhelmina Cooper's namesake agency, getting a commercial within her first two weeks there.

This picture, from a Black, Starr and Frost jewelry ad, is one of several pictures of Catherine Roberts that I'll be posting over the coming week. :-)

Actress Elizabeth Perkins

When she appeared in Big - a movie about a thirteen-year-old boy who gets his wish to be an adult - with Tom Hanks in 1988, Elizabeth Perkins became a star whose stature matched the movie's title. :-)

Perkins made her cinematic debut in 1986 in About Last Night..., based on a David Mamet play. Her other movies include Avalon, Sweet Hearts Dance, and The Doctor, in which she plays a terminally ill cancer patient who inspires a doctor through his own illness.

More recently she was in Must Love Dogs, and she plays the somewhat vindictive Celia Hodes in the in the Showtime cable series "Weeds."

Sportscaster Pam Oliver

Pam Oliver is a rarity in television sports - a woman who reports on football, perhaps the most masculine team sport in America.

Oliver started out as a television news reporter, working at local stations in Georgia, Alabama, and upstate New York. Her sportscasting career began in 1990, when she became the sports anchor for WTVT-TV in Tampa,Florida. She's been with Fox Sports covering the NFL since 1995, and she's also covered NBA playoff games for TNT.

MSNBC anchor Monica Novotny

Monica Novotny has been a reporter for MSNBC and currently hosts "MSNBC Live," a late-morning news show.

Prior to joining MSNBC, she was a reporter for the school cable television news service Channel One. She started out at KNBC-TV, NBC's Los Angeles affiliate.

Actress Kathryn Morris

Kathryn Morris is best known as the star of "Cold Case," a police drama series on CBS set in Philadelphia.

Morris plays Lilly Rush, a police detective who investigates crimes that have gone unsolved for years, sometimes decades.

She had done several minor roles in numerous movies made for television and theatrical release prior to the debut of "Cold Case." One particular role was a bit part as a psychiatric patient in the Jack Nicholson movie As Good As it Gets. She continues to appear in movies on occasion.

Rosemary Redux - More Rosemary McGrotha

Why did I post three more pictures of eighties model Rosemary McGrotha?

Because I can! :-D

Love grows where my Rosemary goes. . . . :-D

What I loved about Rosemary McGrotha was that she was an unconventional model in so many ways. She enjoyed good food, and she was never interested in dieting. She was like a real woman . . . because she was a real woman.

Donna Karan used her extensively in ads, including one featuring her taking the oath of office as the first female President of the United States. The only problem was that Rosemary McGrotha was, I believe, in her twenties at the time, then making her constitutionally ineligible for the Presidency. :-D

The downside of showing this picture is that there are men in it. :-p

Eighties model Rosemary McGrotha

With her full, curvaceous figure, her sharp, triangular nose, and her steely blue eyes, Rosemary McGrotha was not your typical fashion model. Her unique look is what made her so famous.

She worked with most of the top fashion photographers of the 1980s, and she was the original muse of designer Donna Karan.

French fashion model Amélie Latournald

Amélie Latournald is part of the latest generation of black fashion models.

Born in Lille, France, Amélie Latournald is associated with no fewer than six modeling agencies. She's done advertisements for Garnier, H&M, and Nike, among others.

Actress January Jones

Today, I offer a touch of January in November. :-)

January Jones is best known for her role as Betty Draper in the cable television drama "Mad Men," which just completed its third season.

Ms. Jones has also had supporting roles in movies such as Anger Management and Love Actually.

Fun fact: Although January Jones was in fact born in January - her birthday is January 5 - she was named for a character in a Jacqueline Susann novel.

Actress Mariel Hemingway

When model Margaux Hemingway, granddaughter of writer Ernest Hemingway, starred in the 1976 thriller movie Lipstick, it was supposed to make her a Hollywood star. It didn't turn out that way; the movie was a flop. Critics, though, noted the acting ability of a young actress who also appeared in Lipstick . . . Margaux's younger sister Mariel, then only fifteen years old.

Three years later, Mariel Hemingway played Tracy, the young adult love interest of neurotic Isaac Davis - played by Woody Allen - in Allen's movie Manhattan. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. A star was born.

Mariel Hemingway went on to star in other films, such as Star 80 (portraying murdered Playboy model Dorothy Stratten) and The Mean Season. She also played a lesbian athlete in the 1982 movie Personal Best, and she has enjoyed taking similar roles and being on the cutting edge.

Mariel Hemingway turns 48 today. She is currently the host of "Spiritual Cinema," a monthly television show dedicated to spiritual-based films.

Fun fact: When Margaux Hemingway married in 1979, Mariel - the bridesmaid at Margaux's wedding - reportedly said, "Yecch! I don't ever want to get married!" In fact, she has been married to writer and director Stephen Crisman since 1984, and they have two daughters.

Broadcast journalist Savannah Guthrie

Savannah Guthrie is one of the new faces of late in NBC's news division.

An attorney as well as a reporter, Savannah Guthrie covered the 2008 presidential election in part for NBC News. She became their White House correspondent in December of that year.

Actress Joely Fisher

Several weeks ago, I posted a picture of actress and sci-fi-geek icon Carrie Fisher. Today, I offer a post devoted to her half-sister. :-)

Joely Fisher, the daughter of Eddie Fisher and Connie Stevens, is an actress who has appeared primarily on television but has also appeared in the movies and on Broadway.

Her best-known roles have been as Paige Clark in Ellen DeGeneres's mid-nineties sitcom "Ellen" and as Joy Stark in the show "'Til Death" with Brad Garrett.

Actress Cameron Diaz

There's something about Cameron. :-)

Cameron Diaz had been featured prominently in movies such as The Mask before breaking through in a big way in the Julia Roberts comedy My Best Friend's Wedding in 1997 (as the woman who marries the Roberts character's secret crush), then reinforcing her comedic reputation in There's Something About Mary a year later.

Cameron Diaz has done lots of popcorn fare like the Charlie's Angels movies, but she's appeared in more artsy films such as Being John Malkovich and Gangs of New York.

British actress Julie Christie

Britain's Julie Christie caused a big sensation in the 1960s in films like Doctor Zhivago and Fahrenheit 451, and she quickly became an icon of the "Swinging London" days.

In the 1970s she had a relationship with Warren Beatty and starred in a few films with him - McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Shampoo, and Heaven Can Wait.

More recently, she has appeared in the Alzheimer's disease drama Away From Her and in Finding Neverland. She remains an ageless symbol of English-language cinema.

TV newswoman Brenda Blackmon

Brenda Blackmon has been a fixture in local broadcast journalism in the greater New York City area for years.

She has been at WWOR-TV (Channel 9) in Secaucus, New Jersey, since 1990 as an anchorwoman and a reporter, having won many Emmy awards for her work. She's one of the most respected broadcast journalists in the New York City media market. She also runs her own communications firm, Brenda Blackmon Communications, Inc., whose site is available here.

This post is an act of support for Ms. Blackmon and her co-anchor, Harry Martin. Their nightly newscast on WWOR-TV had been one hour long and had aired at ten o'clock, but it's been pushed back one hour (to eleven o'clock) and halved to thirty minutes to make room for a talk show that has nothing to do with the news.

Scandinavian model Anna Anderson

Anna Anderson was a highly visible fashion model in the late seventies and early eighties.

She even appeared in a couple of movies, notably in the 1978 thriller Eyes of Laura Mars, about a fashion photographer whose violence-themed pictures may foretell a murder. Anna Anderson played one of the models. She also appeared in Portfolio, a semi-fictional 1983 movie about the modeling trade.

The Beauty of Retrospect: Supermodel Beverly Johnson . . . Without Makeup!

Beverly Johnson never looked more beautiful than in this picture, taken by fashion and celebrity photographer Francesco Scavullo, in which she doesn't wear any makeup at all.

And, dare I say, she never looked sexier. :-)

I've always appreciated women's natural beauty, and I've come to prefer women who were less makeup or, ideally, none at all. True feminine beauty comes from facial contours, eye color, and skin tone. Lipstick, rouge and mascara can get in the way of all that.

This picture of Beverly Johnson accentuates her best features - her deep, dark eyes, her soft, supple lips, and her glowing complexion. It's an astonishingly breathtaking portrait.

I'd been wanting to post this picture for a long time, but I'd never been able to find it on the Internet. Then two things happened. First, I got a scanner. Then I found the Scavullo book this picture appeared in.

It was worth the wait.

The Beauty Of Retrospect, Birthday Edition: Happy Birthday, Famke Janssen!

Dutch actress Famke Janssen, who has appeared in movies as diverse as the James Bond film GoldenEye and Woody Allen's Celebrity, in addition to the X-Men movies, turns 44 today.

What a coincidence - so do I! :-D

Happy birthday to my lovely astrological twin! :-)