1921 & 1923 Miss America Pageant Trophies
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GUEST:
My great-great-aunt was the first Miss America. Her name was Margaret Gorman. And she was from Washington, D.C. And she represented Washington, D.C., in the pageant. There was a local newspaper contest that you could enter to then move on to the pageant. And I believe her mother entered her into the contest in which she won. So then she won her place at the pageant in Atlantic City. As far as I know, they were looking to kind of get more tourism in Atlantic City, and that's why they kind of started the... this pageant. She was presented the larger trophy in 1921 and then the smaller one in 1923.
APPRAISER:
Well, that is your aunt over there.
GUEST:
Yes, that is her.
APPRAISER:
What do you remember about your aunt?
GUEST:
Well, one interesting fact I do remember is that a lot of people would ask her about being Miss America, the first, how she felt about it, and she was actually very humble about it.
APPRAISER:
It's extraordinary to me that she won at such a young age, that sh...
GUEST:
only 16.
APPRAISER:
Only 16,
GUEST:
mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
We do see trophies come up for Miss America, but firsts are always the best.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
And what's really interesting about this is that the 1921 contest, which is considered the very first Miss America pageant, was not yet the Miss America pageant. And on this trophy, it was from the 1923 contest. But they've actually called out Miss America 1921. So they presented her with something to have the title of Miss America, kind of recognizing the fact that she won in 1921, and that she was the first Miss America. And she is absolutely regarded and recognized as the first Miss America. This is kind of a full circle moment,
GUEST:
Mm-hm, yeah.
APPRAISER:
that we started as a bathing beauty contest in 1921.
GUEST:
Yes, mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
They just celebrated the 100th anniversary of Miss America in 2021.
GUEST:
Yes. Exactly.
APPRAISER:
And at this point, there is no swimsuit competition as part of the pageant anymore.
GUEST:
I know! Yeah.
APPRAISER:
So even though that's how it started, it's moved into so much more.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And now Miss America is a figure that represents the organization and has to perform an extraordinary number of humanitarian duties.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
They help causes. They're really activists. And it's no longer just simply about beauty. The 1921 trophy is actually marked. They're
both silver plate. So their value really doesn't derive from the actual trophies themselves. It's what they represent. We also have some damage here. (chuckles) It's lived a life.
GUEST:
Yes, Yes. Unfortunately, yes.
APPRAISER:
So this piece on the top was attached with a pierced metal design, and unfortunately those over time have snapped off. It sits nicely here, so it still presents well.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
A lot of the 1920s trophies have come up for sale.
GUEST:
Oh, really? Oh.
APPRAISER:
And when they do, this one, the 1923 naming her as the 1921 winner, would probably sell at auction in the p... $1,800 to $2,000 range.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
This one, however, when you have a first, that's pretty important.
GUEST:
Mm.
APPRAISER:
And despite the fact that there's some damage to it and it's lived a life, we would expect this one to be at least in the $2,000 to $3,000 range.
GUEST:
Oh, wow, that's pretty good. (laughs)
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