Photo: Arnold Genthe / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Audrey Munson fascinates me because she predates the whole vocabulary we now use for fame. Calling her 'America's first supermodel' isn't hyperbole when you learn she inspired more than twelve statues in New York City alone, plus many more elsewhere. The nicknames pile up beautifully: Miss Manhattan, the Panama-Pacific Girl, American Venus. I find it striking that her image is literally carved into a city's architecture, a kind of permanence most celebrities never get. Born in 1891 and living to 1996, she spanned an astonishing arc of history. To me she's a reminder that being seen and being remembered are two very different things.
Overview
Audrey Marie Munson (June 8, 1891 – February 20, 1996) was an American artist's model and film actress, considered to be "America's first supermodel." In her time, she was variously known as "Miss Manhattan", the "Panama–Pacific Girl", the "Exposition Girl" and "American Venus." She was the model or inspiration for more than twelve statues in New York City, and many others elsewhere.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Audrey Munson
- Name (Japanese)
- オードリー・マンソン
- Reading
- おーどりー・まんそん
- Born
- June 8, 1891 – February 20, 1996
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Rabbit
- Origin
- Rochester, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / model / stage actor / film actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Actor — see all → · Model — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.