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A very young Marilyn Miller with her shoes
Source: Billy Rose Theatre Collection at NYPL
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Nel 1928 lo scultore Alexander Stirling Calder, fu chiamato a creare quattro statue di marmo bianco in grandezza naturale di altrettante attrici. Le sculture erano destinate a delle nicchie dorate poste sulla facciata di un edificio oggi storico, l’I.Miller Building - “The Showfolk’s Shoe Place” come ancora oggi si legge sull’edificio stesso - situato a New York all’angolo tra Broadway e la 46esima strada. L’obiettivo era celebrare quattro generi di rappresentazione scenica: un omaggio alle radici della I.Miller arrivata al successo grazie alla produzione di calzature per il teatro. L’inaugurazione avvenne nel settembre 1929 ed era presente l’attrice chiamata a rappresentare le produzioni musicali della vicina Broadway, Marilyn Miller, scolpita nel suo più famoso ruolo di Sunny.
In 1928 the sculptor Alexander Stirling Calder was asked to create four white marble life-size statues of four actresses. The sculptures were intended for gilded niches on the facade of the now historical I.Miller Building - “The Showfolk’s Shoe Place” as it still reads on the building's facade - located in New York at the corner of Broadway and 46th street. The aim was to celebrate four different stage performances: an homage to the I.Miller's beginning as they came to success for the production of stage shoes. The opening was in September 1929 with special guest Marilyn Miller to unveil her statue representing her most famous Broadway's role as Sunny.
In 1928 the sculptor Alexander Stirling Calder was asked to create four white marble life-size statues of four actresses. The sculptures were intended for gilded niches on the facade of the now historical I.Miller Building - “The Showfolk’s Shoe Place” as it still reads on the building's facade - located in New York at the corner of Broadway and 46th street. The aim was to celebrate four different stage performances: an homage to the I.Miller's beginning as they came to success for the production of stage shoes. The opening was in September 1929 with special guest Marilyn Miller to unveil her statue representing her most famous Broadway's role as Sunny.
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Marilyn Miller Statue by Alexander Stirling Calder
I.Miller Building | West 46th Street and 7th Avenue - New York
Source: Jerry Miller | The Wandering Shoe
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1928 | Marilyn Miller statue as Sunny
Soon to be in the niche of the I.Miller Building
Source: New York Times
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Sempre nel 1928 Marilyn Miller fece da testimonial in Francia ad André Perugia dichiarando di essere calzata dal famoso designer/bottier. Israel Miller era stato sicuramente il tramite fra i due, visto che da qualche tempo la I.Miller curava la distribuzione negli Stati Uniti delle calzature di André Perugia e Perugia dava lezioni calzaturiere a Leo Miller, uno dei figli di Israel, in quel di Parigi.
In the same year - 1928 - Marilyn Miller was photographed as testimonial for the Italian French bottier André Perugia. Israel Miller was almost certainly the link between the two of them since the brand I.Miller was handling the U.S. distribution of Perugia’s shoes; meanwhile Andre Perugia was training Leo Miller in Paris, one of Israel’s sons.
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| 1928 | Marilyn Miller for André Perugia |
Marilyn Miller ebbe una vita breve e travagliata (morì a soli 37 anni per le conseguenze di un intervento al setto nasale) e fu un’artista poliedrica, cantante e ballerina oltre che attrice, di enorme successo. E anche una grande appassionata di scarpe.
Marilyn Miller's life was troubled and brief: she died 37 years old for the consequences of nasal surgery; she was a very successful and accomplished singer, actress and tap dancer. And very fond of shoes.
FOOTNOTE
Alexander Stirling Calder fu uno scultore di discreto successo. Senz’altro più noto è però il figlio Alexander Calder, l’autore delle inconfondibili sculture mobili fatte di colori primari.
Alexander Stirling Calder was quite a successful sculptor but today he is remembered as the father of Alexander Calder, the author of the signature “mobile, whose suspended, abstract elements move and balance in changing harmony”. [Source: Calder Foundation website]
I.MILLER
I N D E X
DELUXE SHOES
ANDY WARHOL FOR I.MILLER
1955-1960
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December 2013 | The statue (and the whole building) restored
Source: Howard Sherman
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