The daughter of Norwegian immigrants, Carol McCallson (1928-1988) grew up on the West Coast, and started out with Dorothy Prebble’s Hollywood model agency in the early Forties. She made the leap to Manhattan, and to the Fords, three years later – and quickly became a success, working regularly with Frances McLaughlin, William Claxton (her high-school boyfriend) and Francesco Scavullo – whom she would marry in 1952, and leave 18 months later.
Following her divorce, McCallson continued to model for a couple of years, predominantly in advertisements. And then she married well, but briefly (as so many of the Ford Agency’s early faces did), to a Manhattan stockbroker. It’s not a desperately interesting story in itself, and the world of junior modeling was only ever glancingly recorded – but McCallson (a wistful figure with a passion for jazz – and a weakness for jazz musicians – what one magazine called an ‘over-determined mouth’) deserves, at the least, a larger footnote in model history.
Take a look at these fabulous photos to see portraits of young Carol McCallson as a model in the 1940s and ’50s.
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| Carol McCallson on the beach, St. Augustine, Florida, photo by Frances McLaughlin-Gill, 1948 |
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| Carol McCallson on the beach, St. Augustine, Florida, photo by Frances McLaughlin-Gill, American Vogue, 1948 |
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| 4Carol McCallson in fly-away beachcoat over bathing trunks-and-bra in green and white cotton by McMullen, photo by Frances McLaughlin, Vogue, December 1, 1948 |
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| Carol McCallson in summer fashion photographed for Vogue by Horst P. Horst, Oyster Bay, New York, 1948 |
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| Carol McCallson in white shirt and blue Crompton corduroy shorts by Carolyn Schnurer, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, May 1948 |
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| Carol McCallson in beach coat and matching bathing suit and shorts by Carolyn Schnurer, photo by Jane Troxell, Harper’s Bazaar, May 1949 |
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| Carol McCallson in Enka rayon dress with winged pockets by Jacques Fath for Joseph Halpert, stole by Fredrica, photo by John Rawlings, Vogue, November 1, 1949 |
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| Carol McCallson in wool guava-red suit, lapel-deep over bow-tied challis blouse and bowler hat, all by Christian Dior-New York, photo by Clifford Coffin, Vogue, September 1, 1949 |
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| Carol McCallson in check suit, jacket has cape-collar, designed by Earl Luick for Anna Miller, Vogue, September 1, 1951 |
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| Carol McCallson in cotton lace dress with rhinestone buttons and detachable neckline by Nelly de Grab, photo by Tom Palumbo, Harper’s Bazaar, April 1951 |
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| Carol McCallson in dress and shawl of denim and Celanese acetate for a soft and supple feel, by Nelly de Grab, Celanese ad, Harper’s Bazaar, May 1951 |
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| Carol McCallson in black knit top and the Venice-inspired skirt in beige printed with black by Nelly de Grab at Peck & Peck, photo by Tom Palumbo, Vogue, January 1, 1952 |
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| Carol McCallson in full-skirted suit with fitted jacket from Peck & Peck, Harper’s Bazaar, March 1952 |
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| Carol McCallson in GLMA mink coat by Ritter Bros., jewelry by Cartier, Vogue, September 1, 1952 |
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| Carol McCallson in luxurious, soft, cashmere coat with hand-knitted borders by Peck & Peck, photo by Tom Palumbo onboard the Ocean Monarch, Harper’s Bazaar U.S., February 1952 |
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| Carol McCallson in silk-lined British wool suit featuring 14-karat gold rimmed buttons, by Irene at Jay Thorpe, Harper’s Bazaar, September 1952 |
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| Carol McCallson in slubbed Italian silk dress with satin edging by Harvey Berin, coral jewelry by Miriam Haskell, photo by Horst, Vogue, January 1, 1952 |
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| Carol McCallson in suit by Anna Miller, Vogue, January 1, 1952 |
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| Carol McCallson, photo by husband Francesco Scavullo, 1952 |
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| Coat dress with arrow-detailed pockets by Gross-Sydney worn by Carol McCallson, 1952 |
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| Carol McCallson in a classic suit with back-belted jacket and straight skirt by Handmacher, felt hat faced with leopard print by John Frederics Charmer, Glamour, April 1953 |
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| Carol McCallson in a gold vest over white blouse and aqua shorts, all by Brigance of Sportsmaker, Glamour, April 1953 |
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| Carol McCallson in a green, patch-pocket shirt with gold blouse and black shorts tied at the waist with a gingham sash, all by Brigance of Sportsmaker, Glamour, April 1953 |
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| Carol McCallson in design by Herbert Sondheim, 1953 |
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| Carol McCallson in late-day suit of softly tucked crêpe woven with Enka rayon, by Anna Miller, photo by Francesco Scavullo, Vogue, April 1, 1953 |
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| Carol McCallson in pale pink dress of silk and orlon and stole by Ben Barrack, Vogue, April 1, 1953 |
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| Carol McCallson in cotton print dress by Kay Windsor Originals for Lana Lobell, hat by John Frederics Cahrmer, Glamour, January 1954 |
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| Carol McCallson in beautiful silk faille dress lavishly over-draped with a fringed stole of pompadour silk taffeta printed in harmony of color variations, a Henri Bendel Original, photo by Leombruno-Bodi, Town & Country, April 1955 |
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| Carol McCallson in long dinner dress with a skirt of white brocade and bodice is of black silk jersey by Jane Derby, photo by Gleb Derujinsky, Town & Country, September 1955 |
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| Carol McCallson, photo by William Claxton, 1955 |