All The Babes
Dovima
Also known as "Dollar-a-Minute Girl", Doe, Dorothy Horan, Dorothy Virginia Margaret Juba
Career
Active 1949 – 1964
Biography
About Dovima
Dovima, born Dorothy Virginia Margaret Juba in 1927, stands 5'8" with a slim build, brown hair, and blue eyes. She became one of the most recognized American supermodels of the 1950s, known professionally by a single name long before that was common. Discovered on a New York sidewalk by a Vogue editor, she had her first photo shoot with Irving Penn the very next day. Her career, active from 1949 through 1964, saw her work extensively with photographer Richard Avedon. Avedon shot her in a floor-length black evening gown surrounded by circus elephants, a photograph that later sold for $1,151,976 in 2010. That gown was the first designed for Christian Dior by Yves Saint-Laurent, and the image became an enduring symbol of fashion photography.
Dovima was reputed to be the highest-paid model of her time, reportedly earning $60 per hour when top models made about $25. This earned her the nickname "Dollar-a-Minute Girl." She was also the first model to use a single name. In 1957, she appeared as Marion in the film "Funny Face," playing an aristocratic-looking but empty-headed fashion model. She had minor roles in several television series, including "Kraft Suspense Theatre," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," and "My Favorite Martian." Her daughter, Allison, was born in 1958, and her marriage to Allan Murray later ended in divorce, leaving her without money. After trying acting and work as an agent with little success, she moved to Florida, where she worked as a hostess at The Two Guys Pizza Parlor in Fort Lauderdale by the 1980s. Dovima died of liver cancer on May 3, 1990, at age 62.
Record
Profile details
Personal
- Died
- Thursday 3rd of May 1990 (age 62)
- Years Active
- 1949-1964 (started around 21 years old; 15 years active)
- Birthplace
- New York, New York, United States
- Ethnicity
- Caucasian
- Sexuality
- Straight
Body
- Hair Color
- Brown
- Eye Color
- Blue
- Weight
- 115 lbs (or 52 kg)
- Measurements
- 33–19–34 (B–W–H) · WHR 0.56
- Bra/Cup Size
- 34C show conversions - UK: 34C, EU: 75C, AU: 12C, JP: 75C
- Boobs
- Real/Natural
- Piercings
- ears
Frequently asked
How did she get the name Dovima?
It is made from the first two letters of her three given names: Dorothy, Virginia, and Margaret.
What led to her downfall after modeling?
After her divorce left her without money, she tried acting and agent work with little success, eventually working in a pizza parlor.
What was notable about the famous elephant photograph?
The gown she wore was the first designed by Yves Saint-Laurent for Christian Dior, and the photo sold for $1,151,976 in 2010.
Did you know
- Dovima's first photo shoot took place the day after she was discovered, with photographer Irving Penn.
- Her nickname "Dollar-a-Minute Girl" came from her high hourly rate of $60.
- She appeared in "Funny Face" as Marion, a character described as aristocratic-looking but empty-headed.
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