Object Details
Artist
George Hurrell, 1 Jun 1904 - 17 May 1992
Sitter
Gypsy Rose Lee, 9 Feb 1911 - 26 Apr 1970
Exhibition Label
As young children, Gypsy Rose Lee (born Rose Louise Hovick) and her sister were ushered onto stage by their ambitious mother. By the time she was seventeen, Lee was a celebrated strip tease artist. The wit and sophistication of her act set her apart from other burlesque performers, and her distaste for nudity meant she never revealed all.
Believing Lee could be filmdom’s next sex symbol, producer Darryl Zanuck brought her to Hollywood in 1937. Aware that her identity as a famed strip tease artist would not pass muster with Hollywood censors, she was credited as “Louise Hovick” in her first five films. It was not until her performance in Stage Door Canteen (1943) that she was billed as Gypsy Rose Lee.
Though Lee’s movie career was fairly short-lived, Hurrell noted that she had “a bold, strong, natural kind of beauty” and “could turn on the dramatics at the drop of a handkerchief.”
De niñas, Gypsy Rose Lee (nacida Rose Louise Hovick) y su hermana fueron empujadas hacia los escenarios por su ambiciosa madre. A los 17 años, Lee era ya una celebrada bailarina de striptease. El ingenio y la sofisticación de su show la distinguían de otras artistas de burlesque y, dada su aversión a la desnudez, nunca se desvestía por completo.
Pensando que Lee podría ser el próximo símbolo sexual del cine, el productor Darryl Zanuck la llevó a Hollywood en 1937. Como su fama de artista de striptease no pasaría inadvertida por los censores de Hollywood, apareció como “Louise Hovick” en los créditos de sus primeras cinco películas. No fue hasta Tres días de amor y fe (1943) que apareció como Gypsy Rose Lee.
Aunque la carrera de Lee en el cine fue corta, Hurrell observó que tenía “una belleza atrevida, fuerte y natural” y que “podía ponerse dramática a la menor provocación”.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquired in part through the generosity of an anonymous donor
Date
1937
Object number
NPG.2022.57
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Photograph
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
Image: 34.5 × 27.5 cm (13 9/16 × 10 13/16")
Sheet: 35.3 × 28.3 cm (13 7/8 × 11 1/8")
Mount: 50.8 × 37.9 cm (20 × 14 15/16")
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location
Currently not on view
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Costume\Jewelry\Earring
Interior
Costume\Headgear\Hat
Costume\Outerwear\Coat\Fur
Costume\Headgear\Headscarf
Gypsy Rose Lee: Female
Gypsy Rose Lee: Arts and Culture\Literature\Writer
Gypsy Rose Lee: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Film\Movie actor
Gypsy Rose Lee: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Performer\Entertainer
Gypsy Rose Lee: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Television\Television actor
Gypsy Rose Lee: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Performer\Burlesque performer
Portrait
Link to Original Record
Record ID
npg_NPG.2022.57