Date of Birth

5 August 1914, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Date of Death

27 March 1992, Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York, USA (lung disease)

Birth Name

Anita Counihan

The first model to receive $100 an hour.

Turned down marriage proposals from Clark Gable and James Stewart.

She was hired by David O. Selznick in the 1940s to school his contract actresses in matters of beauty, poise and publicity. She was especially influential in grooming Jennifer Jones for stardom.

Appeared on the covers of 15 magazines in a single month [1936].

Is sometimes credited as "The first supermodel", "The nation's first supermodel" or "America's first supermodel".

Considered the most successful of all the Conover Agency models.

By August 1957, her "Beauty Book" (1952) had been translated into 10 foreign languages, sold 100,000 copies and been syndicated in 100 American cities.

Started career as America's highest paid model and magazine cover girl.

Daughter of famous sports cartoonist Daniel Francis (Bud) Counihan and Margaret McCarthy.

Nine months after her start as a cover girl, Manhattan's illustrators named her their most popular model.

After leaving her acting career, she joined the staff of Harper's Bazaar to do editorial, promotional and advertising work but quit after a successful three years. She was called back to Hollywood for a cameo appearance and promotion job on the film Cover Girl (1944), which resulted in six offers from Hollywood and working with David O. Selznick.

During her modeling career, she was credited as having been on more magazine covers than any other girl in America.

For years, she was considered the nation's number one cover girl. Quentin Reynolds named her "The Face" when she smiled from 300 magazines in one year.

Went to Hollywood as an actress. Later became the first woman executive in the motion picture industry.

Harry Conover, head of the nationally known Conover Model Agency, named Anita as the "most beautiful woman in America" and "one of the most intelligent".

Her younger sister Francine Counihan was also a top model.

Famous Hollywood fashion beauty consultant.

At age 56, she married for the first time to Palen Flagler, a wealthy and successful businessman. He was the corporate vice president of J. P. Stevens which had an annual volume of $50 billion (circa 1970s).

Aside from her beauty, she was also recognized as being very intelligent, as she had top executive and advisory jobs in Hollywood, and she was sometimes called "The Brain".

Executive assistant to Henry Ginsberg at Paramount. Anita was the first woman to occupy this boss spot. [1947].

Ex-fiancée of Wall Street broker Gerald (Jerry) Gordon. A wedding was planned in 1962.

In 1937, she was on the cover of 32 magazines in one month, making $1,500 a week.

As an actress, she had leading roles and reportedly made more money than the young starlets Lucille Ball and Betty Grable, who were earning $35 a week.

Inventor of a chair that is convertible into an inclined bed (U.S. patent no. 2690209) [Issued September 28, 1954].

In 1935 she was the highest paid cover girl in America.

She modeled for numerous products such as cosmetics, toothpastes, cigarettes, etc.

According to the Pittsburg Press (03/26/1946), her face appeared on 50,000 billboards and more than 1500 magazine covers.

Has hazel eyes.

Heads a newspaper syndicate, Women's News Service [circa 1950s].

Revealed her engagement to Charles "Chuck" Hornburg, Jr., an advertising executive of Good Housekeeping magazine. [March 1939]

Price:  £45.00