 Who has more paint, the lady or the car? Although the lady looks pretty pure, since this is Margaret Gorman, the first Miss America ever, she must have used some make-up. Without make-up you cannot win a beauty contest, not then and not now. Here Margaret is posing together with a Birmingham Motors car. A car that has been built without using any paint. Instead of paint, Birmingham Motors used "DuPont Fabrikoid" for the exterior finish. Miss America Margaret Gorman, who was born in 1905, was chosen as "Miss District of Columbia", due to her athletic ability, past accomplishments, and outgoing personality. That year she won two other titles, "The Most Beautiful Bathing Girl in America" and "The Golden Mermaid trophy." In 1922 she was crowned as "Miss America." Gorman was later quoted as saying: "I never cared to be Miss America. It wasn't my idea. I am so bored by it all. I really want to forget the whole thing." She lived all her life in D.C., became somewhat a socialite and enjoyed traveling. She died on October 1, 1995, age 90. Birmingham Motors Birmingham Motors was a automobile company from Jamestown, New York. They were in business only from 1921 through 1923. The Birmingham offered a number of unusual features, including a type of swing axle suspension and exterior finishes of DuPont Fabrikoid instead of paint. Since the start they were struggling to generate capital for factory investment. When the company's titular President, also the mayor of Jamestown, was involved with a political scandal, it was the end of the company. Only about 50 Birmingham autos were built; none are known to have survived to the 21st century. Text: Marius Hille Ris Lambers [http://www.onestop.photo] Pictures: Library of Congress |
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The first Miss America: without paint!
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