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The Duchess of Dallas: 1920

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Miss Inez Thomas of Dallas, Texas." Who represented her city as the Duchess of Dallas at the 1916 San Antonio Fiesta. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Miss Inez Thomas of Dallas, Texas." Who represented her city as the Duchess of Dallas at the 1916 San Antonio Fiesta. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.

 

On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5

She's a wholesome beauty.

What a beauty!

Nose enlarging

Re noelani's comment below, the facial distortions you often see in amateur close-ups are the result of a wide-angle lens. Be sure to step back and zoom in when taking a shot of your sweetie! This is why professional portrait photographers use a medium or long focal length lens. Or used to, since weirdifying faces is sort of a style in and of itself these days.

Photo induced nose enlarging

I think the camera has enlarged her nose a bit, as happens very often on closeups, even with modern cameras. I think she had a gorgeous nose, and would love to see a profile of her! Profiles were very popular in those days, and the greatest beauties in the movies usually had fairly prominent, "shapely" noses.

Dallas Doozies!

I lived in Dallas (Addison suburb) for a year in the mid 80's. It seemed that everytime I stopped at a light on my daily commute and took a second or two to glance around, I always saw one or two gorgeous women drivers. I have visited the area many times since, and I have to say Big D would get my vote for the most beautiful women in the nation.

Texas belles

My husband used to travel a lot for business, and he always said the most beautiful women were in Dallas.

Aye for "Pretty Girls"

The votes are in, Dave. I think Miss Thomas deserves elevation to the revered "Pretty Girls" category.

[Consider her elevated. - Dave]

Mystique and class

Simply gawjus.

The Duchess of Dallas

Hits the blogosphere in the Dallas Observer:

According to the Texas History experts over at the Dallas Public Library, Miss Thomas was a student at St. Mary's in 1908 and attended Fairmont Seminary in Washington, D.C. This photo appears to have been taken in our nation's capital, probably when Miss Thomas returned for alumnae events. She went on to marry one J. William Rubush in 1926, though her husband seems to have shot himself in 1948. A quick glance over at The Dallas Morning News historical archive suggests that she remarried a man named Schubert and died herself in 1978, living at an address on Lomo Alto Drive not far from our very own Unfair Park headquarters.

Not a completely charmed life

Inez Thomas Rubush Schubert was born Sept. 29, 1893, and died July 23, 1974. Her father made a large financial contribution to the San Antonio Fiesta in 1916, which is what got her the "Duchess" title. A graduate of Fairmont Seminary In Washington, D.C., she returned to Dallas and married her first husband, Joseph Rubush, in 1926. He committed suicide in 1948; she later married a Mr. Schubert.

Elegance beyond comparison!!!

Neiman-Marcus was founded in 1907 and I'm certain this gorgeous and elegant lady was a valued and regular patron! I'm sure she danced fox trots and waltzes, maybe even the Charleston, to the music of Jimmie Joy's Baker Hotel Orchestra as well as Jack and Fred Gardners' Orchestras, all early 1920's graduates of the University of Texas. While she was in San Antonio, she would have danced at the St. Anthony Hotel (still in business today) to the same bands because they played in both venues with the names of the hotels changed where appropriate. I have many of their mid-20's jazz records.

Guardian angle

That pose can be used to minimize an alarming nose.

Flawless Beauty

No unnatural "pillow-lips" or plastic enhancements, dressed in elegant attire and probably a Neiman-Marcus customer (if it was there in 1916). For those who think that all "flyover country" is full of hicks and rubes, I can assure you that lots of the most beautiful people on the planet exist in between the two coasts. They just aren't heavily promoted.

Knows her nose

Portrait of one fine-looking Texan, made all the more so by her (or the fotog's) realization that a slight tilt up minimizes the effect of a generously-sized nose. Note the focal point is right at her irises; everything else is soft. Oh, to be the Duke to such a Duchess. "Another ladle of Tex-Mex chili to go with your Pearls lager, m'lady?"

Top Ten!

I would put her in the running for Shorpy's top ten females.

WOW!

Just one word, WOW! A very pretty woman. Pretty eyes, nice full lips, what's not to like? An air of mystery about her, for sure. **sigh**

Shades of 1977

Miss Thomas reminds me of Donna Pescow when she played the girl who couldn't win the heart of John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever".

From what I heard...

that's not all she did at the 1916 San Antonio Fiesta!

Reservation for one

I'll bet the "Duchess" dined out on that for years. Dallas women haven't changed much in the last century.

The Eyes Have It

I wonder if they're blue or maybe hazel. Either way I say
hubba hubba.

That Look!

Can't decide if it's "come hither" or "touch me and you'll be crippled for life."

Everything about her screams "1920s" and she's gorgeous.

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