The Sad Story Of America’s First Supermodel

She’s considered America’s first supermodel. But she died alone after 65 years in an asylum.

Audrey Munson was born in Rochester, New York in 1891. She wanted to be an actress as a little girl. At 17, she moved to New York with her mother to pursue her dream.

One day, Audrey was window-shopping on Fifth Avenue. That’s when she was spotted by photographer Felix Benedict Herzog. He was so fascinated by her beauty he asked her to sit for him in his studio. Herzog also introduced her to the art world. Her first major job was posing for sculptor Isidore Konti. It was him who first suggested she pose naked. Though Audrey’s mum was hesitant, she was eventually convinced by Konti’s words. The collaboration resulted in a statuary Three Graces.

All of them were inspired by her. Shortly after that, Munson became a model in high demand. She posed for painters and illustrators as well, but most of her colleagues were carvers. Fountains, columns, and relief panels all over New York featured her image. Citizens started calling her Miss Manhattan.

In 1915, she participated in the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. Audrey modeled for three-fifths of the sculptures created for the fair. The event earned her the nickname Panama-Pacific Girl. That same year, she made her film debut in Inspiration. She played a sculptor’s model, becoming the first actress in America to appear nude in a film. Munson starred in a few more controversial pictures before returning to her primary job.

Being an advocate for women artists, she refused to stay in her male counterparts’ shadow. In 1921, she authored a series of articles about a model’s crucial role in the artistic process. She disclosed unequal pay and the difference in attitude towards actresses and posers.

Soon Audrey’s luck ran out. She got caught up in a string of scandals. She filed a suit against a producer when she received an invalid check for her role in a movie. In another incident, her landlord killed his wife claiming to have done it to marry Munson. Since then, she struggled to find work. She attempted suicide in 1922. Audrey finally ended up in St. Lawrence State Hospital for the Insane in 1931. She remained there for the next 65 years. She died in 1996 aged 104. Once known as American Venus, she was buried in an unmarked grave.

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