A Model, an Architect, a Millionaire, and a Murder
Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White, Harry Thaw, and the “Trial of the Century”
Evelyn Nesbit: The Artist’s Ideal (1884/85?–1967)
Evelyn Nesbit was the daughter of an attorney and a housewife. She was born on Christmas Day in either 1884 or 1885 (Nesbit herself was unsure of the year) in Tarentum, Pennsylvania.
In her early years, she developed a love of books and took music and dancing lessons.
Her father died when Nesbit was about ten years old, and she, her mother, and younger brother were without an income.
Mrs. Nesbit, whose only work experience was as a reasonably well-to-do housewife, was mostly unsuccessful in finding a way to support the family. As it turned out, there was a goldmine sitting under her nose: Evelyn.
The family eventually wound up in Philadelphia, where Mrs. Nesbit, 14-year-old Evelyn, and 12-year-old Howard all found employment at Wannamaker’s department store. One of Evelyn’s customers turned out to be a female artist who was struck by the girl’s beauty and charm and asked her to pose for her.
Other artists and photographers were drawn to young Evelyn’s exceptional beauty and asked her to pose as well. It…
