Marie Easterly Modeling School of Portland, Oregon In the 50's

 Nadene Goldfoot                                        

Living in Ontario, Oregon in my 60's, I believe, still standing in the model position-automatically after all my schooling...teaching....

My parent's high school graduation gift to me was to attend and graduate from modeling school, heaven's knows I had already attained good posture after years and years of dancing classes.  I was a shy person, though.  I graduated in 1951, a year ahead of my peer group.  

After this graduation I attended Lewis &Clark College on Paletine Hill in Portland while all my friends went to U of O.  My parents said I was too young to leave town.  

The Maria Easterly Studio (often referred to as the Marie Easterly Modeling School or Maria Easterly Modeling Agency) was a prominent modeling and personal finishing school in Portland, Oregon during the 1940s and 1950s. Run by Maria Easterly, the studio taught local women and young models poise, grace, and fashion presentation.  

Portland Presence: The school operated locally during an era when finishing schools were popular for teaching young women social grace, confidence, and self-presentation.  

Portland, Oregon's Rose Festival queen in 1951 was Gloria Krieger representing Jefferson High School.

The 1951 queen gained extra renown after a dramatic selection showdown that led to an iconic, unpublished cover feature by Life Magazine, later launching a career in television and film. Historical photos of Gloria Krieger wearing her crown and leading the festival court can be browsed through the Oregon Historical Society Digital Collections

I remember that in my class was the Rose Festival queen of Portland's Rose Festival.  I don't really remember who it was, but Gloria was the one listed for 1951.  I was thinking she had been a brunette.  I had been a Washington High graduate. 

The Portland Rose Festival queen in 1952 was Jeanne Wallace representing Washington High School.  

Location: The business operated out of spaces in downtown Portland, including ties to the historic Woodlark Building. 

The modeling school was mentioned in an Art Museum night: ' The event was filled with drama and suspense as each of the guests considered their choices. But before any votes were cast, there was a surprise announcement that Mia Hervin Moore had just stepped forward to purchase the Japanese painting by Itō Jakuchū—the choice of Curator Maribeth Graybill—for the Art Museum in honor of her late mother Maria Easterly Hervin.

Evolution: After 1959, the studio transitioned and was later known as the Glorea Lavonne Finishing School. How long did it exist?  

"Glorea LaVonne [many have spelled her name Gloria] 1959-1973

"Years ago, I had heard that a woman who ran a finishing school here in Portland, Gloria LaVonne did something quite unusual. First, let me tell you that she advertised, “Learn the latest techniques for *Tea Room *Wholesale *Retail Store *Fashion Show * Television *Photographic *Stage and Runway.” So, when I heard this story, I thought that it might be true, but I have no way now of ensuring it. Gloria was known to many as a ‘fashion consultant”. And what I’m told is that in the early ‘60s she organized a week-long summer retreat at the coast in Lincoln City. The retreat was called “Dream” which had over 100 men from across the United States attending – for the sole purpose of learning about and dealing with being a cross-dresser. Remember this was in early 1960!

Interviewing people, they all remember their story of what happened, however, because these were eyewitnesses these interviews are very important. There were no printed flyers or advertisements about the ‘sessions’ held by Glorea.

Notable Alumni: The agency launched the early careers of several local figures and models, including actress and print model Dorothy Mae Johnson.  a Miss Oregon and actress.