Rare Bird Beauty Contest

Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 15, 2023 - Comments ()
Category: Animals, Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, 1940s

Miss Automated Handling

In 1961, the Norfolk Naval Supply Center introduced a half-million-dollar automated system for material handling in order to expedite "the movement of vast quantities of supplies and stores to shore stations and ships all over the world."

As part of the opening ceremonies, Norma Jean Riganto was crowned "Miss Automated Handling."

Virginian-Pilot - Oct 13, 1961

Posted By: Alex - Fri Sep 08, 2023 - Comments ()
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, 1960s

Miss Union Label

I thought this was fitting for Labor Day Weekend!

Posted By: Paul - Sat Sep 02, 2023 - Comments ()
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Tradesmen, Manual Laborers, and Skilled Workers, 1950s

Miss Garbage Disposal

Miami News - June 5, 1951

I couldn't find a picture of Mary Gleason as Miss Garbage Disposal, but below is a picture of her from the same month that she gained the title. It looks like the photo was taken at the theater where she was performing.

Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin - June 10, 1951

I also found reports stating that in 1946 Shirley Halloran was named "Miss Automatic Garbage Disposal," but I couldn't find any pictures of her.

Posted By: Alex - Mon Aug 28, 2023 - Comments ()
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, 1950s

Miss Jitterbug

Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 25, 2023 - Comments (1)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, 1940s, Dance

Gurning

In September, after a three-year break due to Covid, the World Gurning Championships will once again be held at the Egremont Crab Fair in England. The crab fair dates back to 1267, and the gurning contest may be almost as old.

Explanatory text from Yesterday's Country Customs: A History of Traditional English Folklore.

Posted By: Alex - Thu Aug 24, 2023 - Comments (1)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Sports

Miss Juke Box, Revisited

A few months ago, I made a post titled "Miss Juke Box" that involved a song of that name. But now, with more diligent research, I actually find some beauty contest queens under that rubric. Alas, I cannot identify the woman in the first photo.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 15, 2023 - Comments (3)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Music, Technology, Twentieth Century

Miss Automatic Gas Range

You can find Irmgard Dawson's IMDB page here.

You can also find some biographical info about her in the text of a 1965 court case, Levitt v. Levitt, in which her former husband, Gene Levitt, was suing to lower his alimony payments to her. The document says that in the late 1950s Dawson had moved back to Germany where her sole source of income was the alimony. Nevertheless, the court agreed to lower the payments to a "token amount."

Gene Levitt was a TV writer best known for creating the Fantasy Island series.

Highland Park News-Herald - Apr 24, 1953

Los Angeles Southwest Wave - May 10, 1953

In 1944, Dawson had also won the title of "Watermelon-Eating Queen of Florida" at a contest in Miami Beach. Note that her crown was carved from a watermelon.

Posted By: Alex - Thu Aug 10, 2023 - Comments ()
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, 1950s

Miss Radioactive

In 1955, two women (Jeanne Baird and Sandy Hershey) were separately named "Miss Radioactive." I can't find any evidence of this title being used before or after 1955.

They both seem to be displaying the same type of radiation detector — a scintillometer. If, like me, you weren't aware of the difference between a Geiger counter and a scintillometer, you can read about it here.

Los Angeles Evening Citizen News - Feb 14, 1955

Casper Star Tribune - June 24, 1955

Posted By: Alex - Fri Jul 28, 2023 - Comments (2)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1950s

Miss Crustacean

In 1951, Meta Justice became the first "Miss Crustacean." She was awarded the title at the annual crab derby in Crisfield, Maryland. She died last year (2022), and her obituary mentions the title. So it must have been something she was proud of.

Salisbury Daily Times - Aug 27, 1951

Baltimore Sun - Aug 27, 1951

In 1952, the festival committee decided to change the title from "Miss Crustacean" to "Miss Hard Crab Derby." They explained that Miss Crustacean "turned out to be altogether too cryptic, with people in general not understanding what it meant."

However, in subsequent years the title reverted to being "Miss Crustacean." Evidently that was less cryptic than "Miss Hard Crab Derby."

Baltimore Evening Sun - Sep 1, 1953

The annual tradition of bestowing the title of "Miss Crustacean" on a young woman continues to this day in Crisfield. Check out the highlights of the 2019 competition below.

More info: National Hard Crab Derby

Posted By: Alex - Fri Jul 21, 2023 - Comments (3)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1950s