Carnival of Genealogy, 74th Edition: Annual Swimsuit Edition
It was quite difficult for me to settle on a photo for the Annual Swimsuit Edition, but I knew that I definitely didn’t want to miss out on this one! My grandmother took some modeling lessons at one point, and while I don’t think this photo is from the shoots, it certainly gave her confidence!I just found this photo while on a trip down to visit family in Arkansas. Unfortunately, my grandmother’s memory is failing badly and she was unable to relate the story behind it (and I’m sure it was a good one)!!! Though, I believe this photo was taken some time after my grandparents married, which would put it circa 1948/1949 or maybe a bit later.
Regardless of being story-less, isn’t my grandmother a looker?! 
Clara Blair Newman, AKA Sizzling Hula Girl, originally uploaded by iCAS.
I adore this photo!!
Where in AR do you have family? Mine comes from the Gurdon/Arkadelphia area.
Most are in Union and Hempstead County now (Nashville/El Dorado). My grandmother is originally from Matador County, Texas. However, after her mother died of Tuberculosis in 1928, she and her brothers and sister (her sister only stayed for a time, and then was taken in by their grandparents) went to live at the Methodist Home for Children in Abilene, Texas. I’m a little sketchy on the details, but my grandparents met when my grandfather was doing his medical internship at the hospital that my grandmother was a medical stenographer in. And go figure, she got a “D” in typing her senior year in High School!
Terrific photo Whitney! Thanks for sharing this in the Carnival of Genealogy!
Jasia´s last blog ..A Family Wedding
That’s an amazing family photograph and perhaps the story will emerge in due course. Thanks for sharing it. Regards, Brett
Great photo Whitney. She sure was a looker! Is that a grass skirt she’s wearing? If so, it might be
from a shoot because it sort of flows with the lines of the bushes behind her.
Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks Bill. It is a grass skirt she’s wearing… I know she took a modeling class and there are some interesting photos from that, but this looks like an amateur photographer took this picture (seeing as how it’s not particularly sharp). If it is from those modeling photo-shoots then this one didn’t make the final cut as there aren’t any studio prints of this. Just this one very unsharp snapshot!