The Gibson Girl first appeared in the 1890s illustrations of artist Charles Dana Gibson and helped inform the beauty standards for American women of the time — for better and for worse.
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1 of 26Sketch of a “Gibson Girl” by Charles Dana Gibson, whose drawings of women informed the “feminine ideal” of the 20th century.MCAD Library/Flickr
2 of 26One such woman who embodied that beauty standard is pictured here, taken circa 1900 and titled “Portrait of a woman.“ImMuddy/Imgur
3 of 26Pictured is another such 20th-century “It” Girl named Billie Burke, who was famous on Broadway and in early silent film before going on to appear as Glenda, the good witch, in The Wizard of Oz. The Jewelry Ladys Store/Facebook
4 of 26Another Gibson drawing of what he considered to be an irresistible, modern woman.MCAD Library/Flickr
5 of 26American model and actress Evelyn Nesbit embodied the Gibson Girl, circa 1901.Flickr/trialsanderrors
6 of 26"A Quiet Dinner With Dr. Bottles,” by Charles Dana Gibson. MCAD Library/Flickr
7 of 26Camille Clifford, who many called the quintessential Gibson Girl, circa 1906.
Wikimedia Commons
8 of 26"Was That You I Kissed in the Conservatory Last Night?” By Charles Dana Gibson. 1903.
MCAD Library/Flickr
9 of 26Nesbit again in 1902.Houghton Library, Harvard University
10 of 26"Who Cares?" By Charles Dana Gibson. His depictions of men and woman together often showed them in positions of equality.
MCAD Library/Flickr
11 of 26A 1901 portrait of actress Ethel Barrymore, another famous Gibson Girl.Wikimedia Commons
12 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
13 of 26Nesbit again in the early 1900s.Flickr/trialsanderrors
14 of 26"Picturesque America" by Charles Dana Gibson.MCAD Library/Flickr
15 of 26Actress Lily Elsie, circa 1910. Wikimedia Commons
16 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
17 of 26Lily Elsie from the film American Widow. 1907.Wikimedia Commons
18 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
19 of 26American stage and silent film actress Maude Fealy. Wikimedia Commons
20 of 26"Magnifying Glass," by Charles Dana Gibson. Wikimedia Commons 21 of 26A Gibson Girl design for wallpaper, 1902.MCAD Library/Flickr
22 of 26"Melting" by Charles Dana Gibson.
MCAD Library/Flickr
23 of 26"The Greatest Game in the World — His Move," by Charles Dana Gibson. 1903. MCAD Library/Flickr
24 of 26"School Days.“MCAD Library/Flickr
25 of 26"Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd.“MCAD Library/Flickr
26 of 26Like this gallery?Share it:
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25 Photos Of How The Gibson Girl Became America’s Preeminent Lifestyle Influencer Of The Early 1900s View Gallery
While what’s known as the “Gibson Girl” is technically a series of drawings that were featured in LIFE magazine in 1908, those sketches had a profound impact on the culture of the late 1800s and early 1900s. They portrayed the modern woman; well-educated, refined, skilled, and independent.
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And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:
Early 1900s Photos Of “The Old Paris” Just Before It Was Lost To Modernization
American Anarchy: Intense Photos Of The Early 1900s Reign Of Radicalism In The U.S.
How The Automat Paved The Way For Fast Food In The Early 1900s
1 of 26Sketch of a “Gibson Girl” by Charles Dana Gibson, whose drawings of women informed the “feminine ideal” of the 20th century.MCAD Library/Flickr
2 of 26One such woman who embodied that beauty standard is pictured here, taken circa 1900 and titled “Portrait of a woman.“ImMuddy/Imgur
3 of 26Pictured is another such 20th-century “It” Girl named Billie Burke, who was famous on Broadway and in early silent film before going on to appear as Glenda, the good witch, in The Wizard of Oz. The Jewelry Ladys Store/Facebook
4 of 26Another Gibson drawing of what he considered to be an irresistible, modern woman.MCAD Library/Flickr
5 of 26American model and actress Evelyn Nesbit embodied the Gibson Girl, circa 1901.Flickr/trialsanderrors
6 of 26"A Quiet Dinner With Dr. Bottles,” by Charles Dana Gibson. MCAD Library/Flickr
7 of 26Camille Clifford, who many called the quintessential Gibson Girl, circa 1906.
Wikimedia Commons
8 of 26"Was That You I Kissed in the Conservatory Last Night?” By Charles Dana Gibson. 1903.
MCAD Library/Flickr
9 of 26Nesbit again in 1902.Houghton Library, Harvard University
10 of 26"Who Cares?” By Charles Dana Gibson. His depictions of men and woman together often showed them in positions of equality.
MCAD Library/Flickr
11 of 26A 1901 portrait of actress Ethel Barrymore, another famous Gibson Girl.Wikimedia Commons
12 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
13 of 26Nesbit again in the early 1900s.Flickr/trialsanderrors
14 of 26"Picturesque America” by Charles Dana Gibson.MCAD Library/Flickr
15 of 26Actress Lily Elsie, circa 1910. Wikimedia Commons
16 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
17 of 26Lily Elsie from the film American Widow. 1907.Wikimedia Commons
18 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
19 of 26American stage and silent film actress Maude Fealy. Wikimedia Commons
20 of 26"Magnifying Glass," by Charles Dana Gibson. Wikimedia Commons 21 of 26A Gibson Girl design for wallpaper, 1902.MCAD Library/Flickr
22 of 26"Melting" by Charles Dana Gibson.
MCAD Library/Flickr
23 of 26"The Greatest Game in the World — His Move," by Charles Dana Gibson. 1903. MCAD Library/Flickr
24 of 26"School Days.“MCAD Library/Flickr
25 of 26"Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd.“MCAD Library/Flickr
26 of 26Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:
Early 1900s Photos Of “The Old Paris” Just Before It Was Lost To Modernization
American Anarchy: Intense Photos Of The Early 1900s Reign Of Radicalism In The U.S.
How The Automat Paved The Way For Fast Food In The Early 1900s
1 of 26Sketch of a “Gibson Girl” by Charles Dana Gibson, whose drawings of women informed the “feminine ideal” of the 20th century.MCAD Library/Flickr
2 of 26One such woman who embodied that beauty standard is pictured here, taken circa 1900 and titled “Portrait of a woman.“ImMuddy/Imgur
3 of 26Pictured is another such 20th-century “It” Girl named Billie Burke, who was famous on Broadway and in early silent film before going on to appear as Glenda, the good witch, in The Wizard of Oz. The Jewelry Ladys Store/Facebook
4 of 26Another Gibson drawing of what he considered to be an irresistible, modern woman.MCAD Library/Flickr
5 of 26American model and actress Evelyn Nesbit embodied the Gibson Girl, circa 1901.Flickr/trialsanderrors
6 of 26"A Quiet Dinner With Dr. Bottles,” by Charles Dana Gibson. MCAD Library/Flickr
7 of 26Camille Clifford, who many called the quintessential Gibson Girl, circa 1906.
Wikimedia Commons
8 of 26"Was That You I Kissed in the Conservatory Last Night?” By Charles Dana Gibson. 1903.
MCAD Library/Flickr
9 of 26Nesbit again in 1902.Houghton Library, Harvard University
10 of 26"Who Cares?” By Charles Dana Gibson. His depictions of men and woman together often showed them in positions of equality.
MCAD Library/Flickr
11 of 26A 1901 portrait of actress Ethel Barrymore, another famous Gibson Girl.Wikimedia Commons
12 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
13 of 26Nesbit again in the early 1900s.Flickr/trialsanderrors
14 of 26"Picturesque America” by Charles Dana Gibson.MCAD Library/Flickr
15 of 26Actress Lily Elsie, circa 1910. Wikimedia Commons
16 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
17 of 26Lily Elsie from the film American Widow. 1907.Wikimedia Commons
18 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
19 of 26American stage and silent film actress Maude Fealy. Wikimedia Commons
20 of 26"Magnifying Glass," by Charles Dana Gibson. Wikimedia Commons 21 of 26A Gibson Girl design for wallpaper, 1902.MCAD Library/Flickr
22 of 26"Melting" by Charles Dana Gibson.
MCAD Library/Flickr
23 of 26"The Greatest Game in the World — His Move," by Charles Dana Gibson. 1903. MCAD Library/Flickr
24 of 26"School Days.“MCAD Library/Flickr
25 of 26"Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd.“MCAD Library/Flickr
26 of 26Like this gallery?Share it:
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Like this gallery?Share it:
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And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:
Early 1900s Photos Of “The Old Paris” Just Before It Was Lost To Modernization
American Anarchy: Intense Photos Of The Early 1900s Reign Of Radicalism In The U.S.
How The Automat Paved The Way For Fast Food In The Early 1900s
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1 of 26Sketch of a “Gibson Girl” by Charles Dana Gibson, whose drawings of women informed the “feminine ideal” of the 20th century.MCAD Library/Flickr
2 of 26One such woman who embodied that beauty standard is pictured here, taken circa 1900 and titled “Portrait of a woman.“ImMuddy/Imgur
3 of 26Pictured is another such 20th-century “It” Girl named Billie Burke, who was famous on Broadway and in early silent film before going on to appear as Glenda, the good witch, in The Wizard of Oz. The Jewelry Ladys Store/Facebook
4 of 26Another Gibson drawing of what he considered to be an irresistible, modern woman.MCAD Library/Flickr
5 of 26American model and actress Evelyn Nesbit embodied the Gibson Girl, circa 1901.Flickr/trialsanderrors
6 of 26"A Quiet Dinner With Dr. Bottles,” by Charles Dana Gibson. MCAD Library/Flickr
7 of 26Camille Clifford, who many called the quintessential Gibson Girl, circa 1906.
Wikimedia Commons
8 of 26"Was That You I Kissed in the Conservatory Last Night?” By Charles Dana Gibson. 1903.
MCAD Library/Flickr
9 of 26Nesbit again in 1902.Houghton Library, Harvard University
10 of 26"Who Cares?” By Charles Dana Gibson. His depictions of men and woman together often showed them in positions of equality.
MCAD Library/Flickr
11 of 26A 1901 portrait of actress Ethel Barrymore, another famous Gibson Girl.Wikimedia Commons
12 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
13 of 26Nesbit again in the early 1900s.Flickr/trialsanderrors
14 of 26"Picturesque America” by Charles Dana Gibson.MCAD Library/Flickr
15 of 26Actress Lily Elsie, circa 1910. Wikimedia Commons
16 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
17 of 26Lily Elsie from the film American Widow. 1907.Wikimedia Commons
18 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
19 of 26American stage and silent film actress Maude Fealy. Wikimedia Commons
20 of 26"Magnifying Glass," by Charles Dana Gibson. Wikimedia Commons 21 of 26A Gibson Girl design for wallpaper, 1902.MCAD Library/Flickr
22 of 26"Melting" by Charles Dana Gibson.
MCAD Library/Flickr
23 of 26"The Greatest Game in the World — His Move," by Charles Dana Gibson. 1903. MCAD Library/Flickr
24 of 26"School Days.“MCAD Library/Flickr
25 of 26"Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd.“MCAD Library/Flickr
26 of 26Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
1 of 26Sketch of a “Gibson Girl” by Charles Dana Gibson, whose drawings of women informed the “feminine ideal” of the 20th century.MCAD Library/Flickr
2 of 26One such woman who embodied that beauty standard is pictured here, taken circa 1900 and titled “Portrait of a woman.“ImMuddy/Imgur
3 of 26Pictured is another such 20th-century “It” Girl named Billie Burke, who was famous on Broadway and in early silent film before going on to appear as Glenda, the good witch, in The Wizard of Oz. The Jewelry Ladys Store/Facebook
4 of 26Another Gibson drawing of what he considered to be an irresistible, modern woman.MCAD Library/Flickr
5 of 26American model and actress Evelyn Nesbit embodied the Gibson Girl, circa 1901.Flickr/trialsanderrors
6 of 26"A Quiet Dinner With Dr. Bottles,” by Charles Dana Gibson. MCAD Library/Flickr
7 of 26Camille Clifford, who many called the quintessential Gibson Girl, circa 1906. Wikimedia Commons
8 of 26"Was That You I Kissed in the Conservatory Last Night?” By Charles Dana Gibson. 1903. MCAD Library/Flickr
9 of 26Nesbit again in 1902.Houghton Library, Harvard University
10 of 26"Who Cares?” By Charles Dana Gibson. His depictions of men and woman together often showed them in positions of equality. MCAD Library/Flickr
11 of 26A 1901 portrait of actress Ethel Barrymore, another famous Gibson Girl.Wikimedia Commons
12 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
13 of 26Nesbit again in the early 1900s.Flickr/trialsanderrors
14 of 26"Picturesque America” by Charles Dana Gibson.MCAD Library/Flickr
15 of 26Actress Lily Elsie, circa 1910. Wikimedia Commons
16 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
17 of 26Lily Elsie from the film American Widow. 1907.Wikimedia Commons
18 of 26MCAD Library/Flickr
19 of 26American stage and silent film actress Maude Fealy. Wikimedia Commons
20 of 26"Magnifying Glass," by Charles Dana Gibson. Wikimedia Commons
21 of 26A Gibson Girl design for wallpaper, 1902.MCAD Library/Flickr
22 of 26"Melting" by Charles Dana Gibson. MCAD Library/Flickr
23 of 26"The Greatest Game in the World — His Move," by Charles Dana Gibson. 1903. MCAD Library/Flickr
24 of 26"School Days.“MCAD Library/Flickr
25 of 26"Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd.“MCAD Library/Flickr
26 of 26Like this gallery?Share it:
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25 Photos Of How The Gibson Girl Became America’s Preeminent Lifestyle Influencer Of The Early 1900s View Gallery
25 Photos Of How The Gibson Girl Became America’s Preeminent Lifestyle Influencer Of The Early 1900s View Gallery
25 Photos Of How The Gibson Girl Became America’s Preeminent Lifestyle Influencer Of The Early 1900s View Gallery
25 Photos Of How The Gibson Girl Became America’s Preeminent Lifestyle Influencer Of The Early 1900s View Gallery
25 Photos Of How The Gibson Girl Became America’s Preeminent Lifestyle Influencer Of The Early 1900s
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MCAD Library/Flickr"She Goes Into Colors,” Charles Dana Gibson.
Of course, Gibson Girls were also beautiful; tall, with hourglass figures and luxuriously messy updos. Furthermore — and perhaps most importantly — they were more or less portrayed as equals to men.
However, the beauty expectations set by the Gibson Girl have also been deemed as a hindrance to feminism and the “feminine ideal” was weaponized by misogynists.
Creating The ‘Gibson Girl’
Through his famed depictions of women playing tennis and golf, swimming, and riding bikes and horses, illustrator Charles Dana Gibson promoted the notion that a woman could be athletic and independent and still be considered fashionable.
He also championed the idea that it should be socially acceptable for women to freely develop their talents and interests in the arts. Ultimately, Gibson’s drawings introduced many conservatives to a more progressive view of women in which they had their own autonomy.
While there was no single “original” Gibson Girl, it is widely accepted that Gibson’s first drawings were created in the image of the famed model Evelyn Nesbit.
Others hold that the inspiration for many of the sketches were based on Gibson’s wife Irene Langhorne. But the illustrator himself has claimed that his eponymous model of femininity was simply a reaction to the kinds of liberated women he was already seeing in American cities.
Gibson’s ideal woman was also usually in the upper-middle-class; though the artist had an interest in exploring different social spheres and backgrounds. The Gibson Girl was competent and self-assured, and always maintained her lady-like etiquette.
Comparing Charles Gibson’s Ideal To The ‘New Woman’
As the turn of the century saw a rise in women’s autonomy, it was also considered to be the era of the “New Woman,” or females seeking equality and opportunity through roles in the public sphere. These were the suffragists; the women seeking radical change.
Often, people thought the Gibson Girls represented the visual ideal of the “New Woman,” but there were actually distinct differences between the two.
Gibson’s representation was a more patriarchy-friendly version. Whether this was done because he looked down on “New Women” or just because he wanted to sell more art can be debated.
While Gibson’s “It girl” was emancipated to the point of possibly having a job or going to college, she would probably not have gone so far as to be a proponent of the suffrage movement. At least, not publicly.
Gibson’s illustrations often depicted women scheming over how to snag the richest husband. The “New Woman” often remained single; either by choice or because finding a husband who believed in complete equality was rare.
Also a far cry from the feminine garb worn by the Gibson Girls, the “New Woman” opted to dress as comfortably as possible for her job and athletic activities — which sometimes meant what was traditionally thought of as male attire.
The popularity of the Gibson Girl ideal permeated almost every aspect of American life for two decades. As the 1920s approached, the persona of the vital and active Gibson Girl continued to pave the way for the dynamic flappers to make their historical mark.
Meanwhile, the “New Woman” would continue to bring about future changes that even the most liberated Gibson Girl could only dream of.
Next, take a look at these 33 photos of the 1920s flappers in action. Then, check out these candid photos of Marilyn Monroe as “the girl next door”.
