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Joanne a bathing suit model, was born July 14, 1935. Back in 1955 she made
$40 dollars a week working at Winklemans. She would spend $20 on a
bathing suit without blinking. In 2006 dollars, that translates to $145.16.
She loved fashion. Even though her father died a few years earlier, fashion
was a nice escape from a horrid childhood. While Joanne and her mother moved
from place to place eking out a living, her father had a love nest and was
spending scads of money; just not on his family. Below is a short bio penned
by Joanne.
1942 Moves to Niles Michigan from New Jersey. Lives in a cottage on Barron Lake. A Spanish style house on the east side of Niles. A farm on the west side of Niles where her parents keep three riding horses. Attended two different schools
1943 Moves to Detroit Michigan, living in The Fort Wayne Hotel, The Royal Palm Hotel, The Eddystone Hotel, and the Clifford Apartments. Goes to Burton International School. Stays with relatives during the summer instead of staying in the hotels.
1945 Moves on the eastside of Detroit. Attends Guyton School.
1946 Moves to Anchorville, Michigan to a 40 acre farm where her parents can house their horses. Her father commutes to the General Motors building where he has his office. Attend Hathaway Institute in New Baltimore.
1947 Moves to a pretty house in Rochester, Michigan on John R. Rd, with 3 acres of land and the horses go with them. Attends Brooklin School.
1948 Sells house in Rochester, and moves back to Detroit, this time to The Seville Apartments. Attends Burton International School for a second time.
Father dies of a Stroke in February of that year. They were left practically penniless. He had been making $20.000 a year, but saved nothing and had no insurance. Her mother sold the horses, packed up the dog and Joann, got on the train and headed back to New Jersey to live with a relative. Stayed there for about a month, where Joann attended Seth Boyden School. Got homesick for the old friends in Michigan, and moved back. Stayed with other relatives. Joann attends Guyton for a second time.
1948 Mother applies for a job as a live-in housekeeper and babysitter in Grosse Pointe. Joann attends Gabriel Richard School. Leaves job in the summer. Buys a small trailer for $800. on the river. Joann goes to Guyton for a third time. Mother has several jobs over the years. Making metal signs, working for Winkelman's selling millinary, finally working in a local drugstore.
1950 Joann attends Jackson Intermediate School, and goes on to attend Cass Technical High School, majoring in Fashion Illustration. Drawing, swimming and ice skating, were her hobbies.
1955 Graduates and gets a job at Winkelmans Stores, Retailing, Fashion Coordination, and distribution. Setting up Fashion shows, and sometimes appearing in them.
1959 Gets married.
If you couldn't tell, Joanne's hero was Audrey Hepburn. Many of the bathing
suits in the 1950s were made from wool. From what I understand, they didn't
always itch like a typical wool product but being inside one was a hot affair.
The series of seven photos (012-018) depicting Joanne in the dark bikini with
the stripes on top were taken by photographer who was in madly love with her
(although the photographer was not her husband). They were snapped on Belle
Isle in Detroit. Joanne's bathing suit photos were used for various
publications and catalogs in the 1950s. images 019-024 feature Joanne's friend
Pat. Images 025 and 026 her friend Bobby-Lou. The first image (000) was taken
during a summer at Grand Marais right off of Lake Superior during a summer
vacation. This page is a nice slice of summertime fashion during the 1950s.
It was nice of Joanne to find me these photos for Private Peeks. She is my
mother-in-law.
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