Donna Darling Collection – Part 95

Treasure Chest Thursday
By Don Taylor

I’m looking at four images from the Donna Darling Collection for this week’s Treasure Chest Tuesday.

I have cropped and gently enhanced these photos.

First is a beauty shot of Donna and its back. The back, in Donna’s hand, says, “My first pro. photo was on cover of sheet music, Age 17. It also has a stamp that says “To be returned Photograph & Press (Bureau, Inc.) Palace Theatre Bldg, New York City.”

The second photo of Donna was a bit damaged but shows Donna in the same dress she wore for the sheet music photo. It is slightly damaged but still shows Donna well enough to keep.

Four of the six photos from “5 Swimsuit women and a man.”

The third photo included five women in swimsuits and a man in a suit. Unfortunately, the paper the photographs were on was severely damaged, and the man and one of the women had their heads cut off and faces unrecognizable. The remaining four photos include what appears to be a side view of Donna and pictures of three other women in various bathing suits.

The last image was out of focus, badly torn, and unusable (and is not displayed here).

Conclusion

The two photos of Donna (Madonna then) are likely from 1910 when she was 17 years old. The photo of Donna in the bathing suit prepared to dive is likely from her 1924 show – The Bathing Beauty Review featuring Donna Darling and Murry Earle.

Future Actions

• Attempt to identify the other three women in the photos when I research the other women in the 1924 Donna Darling Review.