Miss Alaska 1922 at Taku Glacier Split Blackout Curtain

Alaska’s first representative in the Miss America contest was Helmericks Lieberman. The 24 year-old Swedish immigrant competed twice representing Alaska, but was disqualified from the 1923 pageant because she was married, even though there was no eligibility rule demanding that women be single. Miss Alaska aka The Arctic Venus was a model of the Jazz age with her tanned skin, muscular physique and love of sports of all kind. She was arrested at an Atlantic City beach for “exceeding the properties of modesty” while wearing the exact same bathing suit she had competed in on-stage. Original pop art by Dorene Lorenz.