The Beauty of Retrospect: Goodbye, Jennifer Granholm

I take one last trip to Michigan, where the air is cold and the governor is hot. In the latter case, not for much longer.

The forty-seventh governor of the state of Michigan, Democrat Jennifer Granholm, is due to step down from her office in January. The Canadian-born politician, who has tried to help Michigan make the transition to a cleaner and greener manufacturing base, has had to deal with budget cuts and a loss of jobs in her state throughout her two terms. However, Granholm's commitment to economic fairness and her fine legal mind - she almost was appointed to the Supreme Court seat taken by Sonia Sotomayor - continue to make her a respected figure in the Democratic party.

She'll be replaced by Rick Snyder, who won the 2010 Michigan gubernatorial election largely due to President Obama's standing in the state. In fact, Snyder probably couldn't have made it without Obama's influence on the Michigan electorate.

There's just one thing wrong with that. Rick Snyder was the Republican candidate. :-O

I'm going to miss Jennifer Granholm. :-(

The Beauty of Retrospect: Sheila Johnson For Napier

One of the longest print ad campaigns in recent history was for Napier costume jewelry, in which the copy would describe its products mostly with rhyming comparative-degree adjectives ("Napier Is Prettier," et al.). The idea was to drive home the pronunciation of the word "Napier" - it's "NAY-pi-er," not "nay-pi-AY" - as much as it was to talk up the product. Sometimes base adjectives that happened to rhyme with "Napier" were also used. All sorts of models were featured in the ads.

I have to use the superlative degree, not the comparative, to describe one Napier model in particular. Because, of all the dreamy, lovely women featured in Napier print ads, Sheila Johnson was the dreamiest and loveliest of them all.

Here are ten - count'em, ten - of Sheila Johnson's print ads from that campaign. :-) (One has been featured here before, with the copy edited out.)

Napier costume jewelry is more of a lot of things, but when Sheila Johnson modeled these bracelets, earrings, and necklaces, Napier was sexier. :-)

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Actress Edition: Zoe Saldana

And now, it's request time. At the beginning of this retrospective series of women I've featured before, I asked if anyone had any personal requests. I got one from TaRessa of New Jersey writes, "How about some Zoe Saldana?"

TaRessa of New Jersey, your wish is my command! :-)

Here again is a picture of the celebrated actress, whose most recent credits as of this writing (besides Avatar) include Takers and the American remake of Death at a Funeral.

I've also received a request from Mr. E.F. Gumby of London, who writes:

"I'd like . . . to see . . . John the Baptist's impersonation of . . . Graham Hill!"

Sorry, Mr. Gumby, you obviously have this blog confused with something else. How about another picture of Ms. Saldana instead? :-)

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Actress Edition: Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson (who turns 26 today) has added to her already impressive resume since I first featured her on this blog four years ago.

She impressed Woody Allen so much in his movies Match Point and Scoop that he cast her in one of his movies again, the movie being Vicky Cristina Barcelona from 2008.

Her other more recent movies include The Nanny Diaries and the ensemble romantic comedy He's Just Not That into You.

She married actor Ryan Reynolds in 2008.

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Actress Edition: Anne Hathaway

Since I first featured Anne Hathaway on this blog in February 2007, her acting career has risen to new heights.

Sure, she's done some fluff, like 2009's Bride Wars (and the less said of 2008's Passengers, an awful supernatural thriller, the better), but she scored big time with her portrayal of a cynical burnout in Rachel Getting Married (also from 2008), which earned her numerous awards and nominations. Her most recent movie as of this writing, Love and Other Drugs, opens this month (November 2010).

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Actress Edition: Jennifer Garner

Jennifer Garner remains one of Hollywood's most illuminating actresses since I last featured her on this blog in 2007.

After delivering a solid supporting performance in the teen pregnancy comedy/drama Juno - in which she risked being upstaged by Ellen Page in the title role - Garner went on to appear in movies such as Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and the ensemble flick Valentine's Day. She is still married to Ben Affleck. :-)

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Actress Edition: Catherine Deneuve by Richard Avedon

I am adding a second picture of Catherine Deneuve due to popular demand. I'm the populus who demanded it. :-D

This stunning portrait is a black-and-white picture taken by Richard Avedon. It's impossible to pay tribute to this great actress without including an Avedon photo of her. Avdeon was instrumental in making Catherine Deneuve a legend with iconic images such as this one.

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Actress Edition: Catherine Deneuve

I've revisited four models this month, now I'm revisiting four actresses. The first of them, France's Catherine Deneuve, is an actress I've failed to revisit for far too long. :-)

This picture, circa 1973, is from one of her Chanel ads - or could you not already tell that from those little containers in the picture? :-D

Her movies - the real reason for her fame - span from from light comedies to intense dramas, with everything in between. In her later career, she became greatly associated with director André Téchiné, and she's also worked with Arnaud Desplechin. Desplechin directed her in 2008's A Christmas Tale.

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Supermodel Edition: Rosie Vela

One model who insisted on credit for her ad work was Rosie Vela, one of the most ambitious women in the modeling trade. Print ads from early in her career do credit her - as "Roseanne Vela," her full legal name - but many ad clients, like the makers of Napier costume jewelry, preferred to let their models go uncredited and anonymous.

So, when I found this Napier ad featuring Rosie Vela, I took the liberty of making a minor adjustment . . ..

Get it? :-D

Of course, Rosie Vela has such a distinctive look, you know it's her the moment you see her. :-)

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Supermodel Edition: Catherine Roberts

I don't normally show ads - I prefer to show pictures from ads, without the copy, when possible - but here I have to make an exepction. Because photos of Catherine Roberts are so hard to find on the Internet, I'm more than willing to feature one with ad copy on it. I'd rather do that than not feature her again.

This ad, from 1980, features Miss Roberts in an ad for the Bailey, Banks and Biddle upscale jewelry store chain and its line of Omega watches.

The slogan says it all. :-)

Catherine Roberts, who was very active as a model in the late seventies and early eighties, is an icon within the modeling trade. She's not a household name, though, largely because her portfolio was mainly comprised of ads like this one, with very little editorial work. Models tend to get credits for their editorial shoots, but this is seldom the case with advertising work.

She's done ads for too many brands and products to list here. :-)

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Supermodel Edition: Rosemary McGrotha

How hot was Rosemary McGrotha back in the eighties?


You tell me!

She's still hot, as this more recent picture below (from 2009) proves. She can even look sexy in a man's shirt! :-D

It may have been uncool to be terminally attracted to a model best known for being Donna Karan's muse. Models who inspire Donna Karan are probably not pinned up on the walls of bedrooms of teenage boys.

But when I look at that lovely face framed by that luxurious dark hair, with those steely blue eyes . . .



Well, why should I have ever cared about my coolness? :-D

Many models are pretty girls, but Rosemary McGrotha was and is one of those models who's all woman. :-)

The Beauty of Retrospect, November Supermodel Edition: Laurel Lee

I'm taking it easy on this blog this month, revisiting women I've already featured here. And even though this is a more recent subject, why not revisit Wilhelmina model Laurel Lee? :-D

Several models have distinguishing characteristics that make them stand out. For Laurel Lee, it's definitely her hair. She has some of the most beautiful locks I've ever seen. :-)

She may have been the unidentified Erno Laszlo model I featured in September - that's what I've been told - but I can't confirm that.