The First Superstar Glamour Photoshoot Controversy

A glamour photography shoot does not only attract models who want to show the best sides of themselves but also celebrities and artists in other fields who want to show themselves in a new light, be it free from showbiz trappings or the burden of previous chaste expectations.

This desire is nothing new and is seen as a more liberating, freeing act than it perhaps used to be, but whilst there have been many photoshoot controversies over the years, arguably the first in history involves one of the first modern celebrities, Adah Menken.

Born Ada McCord in 1835, Ms Menken was born into poverty, although her skill for dancing and singing meant that she could by the age of 21 start her career as an actor, as well as dabbling in poetry and painting.

She has been compared to later actress Jayne Mansfield or Marylin Monroe in that whilst her talent for acting and other artistic endeavours was sometimes rather suspect, she was an excellent public figure, dabbling in journalism and even political punditry, both unusual for a woman in her era.

However, by far her most famous and infamous moment would be her performance in the play Mazeppa, based on a poem by Lord Byron, where she would rather infamously appear nude on stage.

The context for this is that Ms Menken was given the role of Tartar, a nobleman who at the end of the play is stripped, tied to a horse and dragged along to his death.

Ms Menken, eager to prove herself as an actor, would do the scene herself, with pictures taken of her that, thanks to the limited capabilities of photography at the time, made her look like she was completely nude, although she argued that ballet and burlesque had far more of the female figure on display.

Whilst controversial at the time, to the point that she was known as “The Naked Lady” in Victorian English circles, she was exceptionally popular amongst audiences and literary contemporaries and lived a full, intense life in the process.

She ultimately collapsed during a rehearsal in 1868 and died at the age of just 33, but has left a considerable legacy in multiple fields.