Myrtle Reinhart, trade show model

As a model at Chicago's Merchandise Mart in the late 1930s, Myrtle Reinhart got to dress up in things like lampshades, curtains, and streamlined underwear beneath a coverall of cellophane.

Could this be her obituary from July 2007? The city (Chicago) and age seems about right.

"You've heard women say they haven't anything to wear. Well, next time they say it, men, look around the house a bit and see what you can find. Miss Myrtle Reinhart at the Chicago Merchandise Mart's home furnishing show produced this lampshade outfit." (continued below)



Pittsburgh Press - July 18, 1937



"Golfing Outfit: At least it would draw attention away from those dubbed shots. It wasn't really designed for the links, however, but to demonstrate the new streamlined underwear. Myrtle Reinhart and Don Fristy do a bit of golfing on the roof of Chicago's great Merchandise Mart with the above-mentioned streamlined undies and a coverall of cellophane for appearance's sake."
Star Tribune - July 17, 1938



Greenfield Daily Reporter - Oct 14, 1937

     Posted By: Alex - Thu Jul 13, 2017
     Category: Fashion | 1930s





Comments
Carol Burnett wore drapes well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFZavCkl9mY
Posted by BMN on 07/13/17 at 07:56 AM
If that is her obituary, she would have been only 16 when she won Miss Indiana in 1937. Also, the maiden name of the Myrtle Reinhart in that obituary was Schuller, according to the information at the find-a-grave website: https://goo.gl/dePxFy I don't think the obituary is for the same person. I'll try to do a little more research on the former Miss Indiana later today and will post if I find out anything interesting.
Posted by Fritz G on 07/13/17 at 08:32 AM
She looks like a shady character to me.
Posted by Virtual on 07/13/17 at 09:55 AM
There's nothing like being attached to your work.

I'd give it a try myself, but I don't think I'd get too far.... I only have one extension cord at home!

Posted by Jessica on 07/13/17 at 11:30 AM
The original booth babe?
Posted by Brian on 07/13/17 at 09:58 PM
The Miss Indiana site doesn't even list her:
http://www.missindiana.org/missindianas.html
Posted by mike on 07/13/17 at 11:31 PM
Mike -- interesting find! Though I notice there's a gap between 1933 and 1937. Perhaps she was a winner in those years?
Posted by Alex on 07/14/17 at 08:28 AM
Alex - If you have access to newspaperarchive dot com, look for the Cambridge (Indiana) City Tribune of October 21, 1937, page 5 (of 8), to see a news photo of "Miss Indiana (Myrtle Reinhart) being welcomed to the Canned Foods Marketing Conference of the Independent Grocers' alliance by Miss IGA (Mary Dunbar)...". If you don't have access to this page, let me know and I'll email you a pdf of the page.
Posted by Fritz G on 07/14/17 at 08:45 AM
Fritz -- I found the same page in newspapers.com (basically the same archive, but cheaper). Seems to be the same as the news photo from the Greenfield Daily Reporter that I posted above.

If Myrtle Reinhart was Miss Indiana in 1936/37, then that implies she wasn't married. Otherwise it would have been Mrs. Indiana. I don't think beauty contests liked married competitors. Which means the obituary I linked to probably isn't her.
Posted by Alex on 07/14/17 at 09:54 AM
BMN: so did those children in The Sound of Music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW1KsVvRVmI
Posted by Richard Bos on 07/15/17 at 01:28 PM
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