What Is the Story of Salome?
Who was Salome, and why won’t she leave us alone? The full story—from a nameless dancing girl in the Gospels to the femme fatale of Wilde, Strauss, and the modern stage.
Edythe Baker: The Ragtime Piano Prodigy Linked to Two Royal Brothers
Edythe Baker (1899–1971) was an American pianist and recording artist who rose from a Kansas City music-store counter to London stardom. She was also linked to romance in high places: King Edward VIII, along with his playboy brother the Duke of Kent. And, of all people, Winston Churchill. At 19 the trade press hailed her…
Ziegfeld Follies Girls: Staging Provocative Beauty
A century ago, a line of women glided languidly into the glow of the footlights on a Broadway stage. Some nearly nude, they shimmered with feathers, jewels, satin, and sequins. The audience watched in a spellbound mix of desire, envy, and awe. Here, presented to the world as icons of feminine beauty, were the Ziegfeld…
