Maybelline might have been named Evaline rather than Maybelline

People have asked me why I didn't put more pictures in my book so they could see the different family members as they went from children to old age.  Well I was only allowed 13 pictures and it was a hard choice as you can imagine.

 So I'm doing a picture-bio of the main characters - starting with Tom Lyle's youngest sister Eva.  Here she is with her brother Preston, my grandfather, on their Morganfield Farm in in 1908, dressed for church I bet.  Don't you love the big bow in her hair and the posing?   Eva and Preston were very close playmates all their lives and she once told me how they loved to roam the woods around the old homestead, exploring and seeking adventure.  When young Preston got in trouble and their father Sheriff TJ locked him in jail to teach him a lesson, it was Eva who snuck in dime novels to keep him busy while he learned his big lesson.

When the family moved off the farm and into their first little warehouse/office in Chicago -with an apartment upstairs - they all helped Tom Lyle get his little Maybelline company off the ground.  Fifteen year old Eva's job was to be the "go-for" girl. When anyone needed something it was Eva who ran down the block to get it.

She once told me how when the family wanted a milk shake she gladly took a quarter for 5 drinks and ran down the street to the soda fountain, where she quickly drank her shake before slowly making her way back home so the shakes wouldn't spill.  Sometimes the walk home took so long she got thirsty and sipped a little from each siplings drink.  By the time she returned, you can just hear the flack she got from her brothers and sister, however Eva was a spitfire with a sharp wit and had a darn good reason for sipping those drinks I'm sure.

I  love this picture of my grandfather Preston and auntie E, as my dad called her.  She and Preston remained devoted even when mmgrandmother was at her wits end with his endless trouble making.  When my grandmother kicked him out of the house Eva gladly welcomed him into hers and there was nothing I mean nothing she wouldn't do for her darling brother.

Look at those beautiful Maybelline eyes with a twinkle like no others.  This picture was taken in 1924 for her sweetheart Ches Haines whom she married Oct 11th of that year.  Auntie E once told me that it could have easily been her who concocted the ingredients that gave her brother Tom Lyle the idea for Maybelline.  She was serious when she said it made her a little jealous that her sister Mabel got the credit, but then laughed at the idea of Maybelline being called Evaline.  Not quite the impact Tom Lyle was going for I'm sure.

Here is my glamorous Auntie E at her daughter June's wedding in the late 1940's.  She seemed to get more gorgeous the older she got and that quick wit made her a star in the family.  Don't you just love that feather in her hat?

 Uncle Ches the father of the bride, on the left next to June and her new husband John Gary.

 Here is a picture of Eva with her daughter Marilyn, (Ditty) taken in 1966 at Tom Lyle's estate in Bel Air California.  Eva is 65 in this picture, a beautiful, elegant lady with all the style and glamour of anyone of Maybelline's models.  Tom Lyle is sitting on the floor with Miss Snoop E. Williams and Sparkie.  He once told me chuckling, that the E in Snoop's name stood for his sister Eva.  I wonder what he meant? 

Eva is a colorful character in The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.  I think you will fall in love with her just like I did.  She was one of a kind.

 I recently had the pleasure of meeting up with my cousin Jerry Westhouse, Eva's grandson, while he was in California, visiting from Chicago. The love my grandfather, Preston had for his sister Eva, and my father had for Jerry's mother Marilyn, is still is alive and well in our generation. Maybe it's our history or Maybe it's Maybelline, but, no matter what we plan to keep the magic of the family story going as long as we're alive.



 Meet Jerry Westhouse

My Daredevil Maybelline Cousin, Jerry Westhouse...a real ...

I like to brag about my Maybelline family, when ever I get the chance... as you can see from the Blog Posts I've done featuring my cousin Jerry Westhouse, below. Jerry is an accomplished race car driver, who is still connected ...

clipped from Google - 10/2015

Maybelline Heir - RACE CAR DRIVER - Jerry Westhouse

Eva and Ches Haines, with their first grandchild, Jerry Westhouse, in the 1970's. Ches continued his love for beautiful automobiles until the end of his life and passed on his legacy to his grandson, Jerry. After the Maybelline ...

Happy 89th Birthday Chuck Berry, "Maybellene" has been a hit for 60 years on Maybelline's 100 year Anniversary

Berry's first single release and his first hit. "Maybellene" is considered one of the pioneering rock and roll singles: Rolling Stone magazine wrote, "Rock & roll guitar starts here."[2] The record is an early instance of the complete rock and roll package: youthful subject matter, small guitar-driven combo, clear diction, and an atmosphere of unrelenting excitement.

Spotting a mascara box on the floor of the studio, according to Berry’s partner Johnnie Johnson, Chess said, “Well, hell, let’s name the damn thing Maybellene” altering the spelling to avoid a suit by the cosmetic company.

 In 1988 "Maybellene" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for its influence as a rock and roll single.[8]

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included "Maybellene" in their list of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll list, as well as "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B. Goode".  In 1999, National Public Radio included it in the "NPR 100," the one hundred most important American musical works of the 20th century as chosen by NPR music editors.

 "Maybellene" is currently ranked as the 81st greatest song of all time, as well as the second best song of 1955, by Acclaimed Music.

Maybellene 1955 liveChuck Berry's Maybellene, ranked # 18, by Rolling Stone magazine's top 500 hits and # 81 in all time rock and roll songs.

Chuck Berry did ask Tom Lyle Williams, for permission to use the Maybelline name.  The spelling is often spelled the same as the mascara.  Read all about it in my book, The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.

What's in a Maybelline slogan?

Viola Dana - Beautiful Photoplay Star, 1925.  Read all about her in The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.  Order now on Amazon.

Today when you think of Maybelline, you think of Maybelline New York's catchy slogan,

 "Maybe She's Born With It?  Maybe It's Maybelline?"  

But over the last 100 years there have been many other wonderful slogans, with beautiful stars from stage and screen.  Here are a few:

In 1917, The slogan "Maybelline, Darkens and Beautifies Eyelashes and Brows Instantly," splashed onto the pages of movie magazines for the first time with lovely Mildred Davis as Maybelline's fetching face of the decade.

During the 1920's, the slogan, "Eyes That Charm" seduced women to mail order Maybelline, after being captivated by vampish silent  screen star Viola Dana.

In the 1930’s Maybelline ads went from black and white to beautifully colored art deco illustrations of glamorous women, inspired by actress Natalie Moorhead.

They read: "It's Easy now to have Bewitching Eyes!" 

"Alluring eyes may be instantly yours by the magic of Maybelline.

"Only genuine Maybelline can give you truly alluring eyes."  "Your eyes should be your most alluring feature." 
 
Another ad in the 30’s read "Old as ancient Egypt New as modern Paris," and had an illustration of Cleopatra on one half of the page and a modern 1930’s beauty on the other.

By the 1940’s Maybelline’s slogan became "Isn't She, or Isn't She," with before and after photography and the most famous slogan for several decades,

  "Quality Yet Sensibly Priced."

These ads featured full page colored, glossy photographs of Pin up girls like Betty Grable, Rita Haworth, Hedy Lamaar and Elyse Knox, bombshells of the WW11 era. 

By the 1950’s, TV slogans became more international and reached a new type of woman, the independent modern woman. 


The catch word became "Exotic," and the new slogan became "Achieve the new Exotic eye make up with Maybelline."  Tom Lyle was the first to do "before and after" ads using the slogans:

"What a difference Maybelline makes."

"Be Fashion-wise accent your eyes with Maybelline."

-Maybelline was now about fashion, being smart and accenting your beautiful eyes.

  "Preferred By Smart Women The World Over"

In 1964, Emery Shaver, the genius wordsmith who fashioned every Maybelline slogan from 1915 to 1964, died from a massive heart attack.  His last slogan for Tom Lyle's prized, Ultra Lash launched that year was,

 "Maybelline the most prized eye cosmetics in the world".  And never forget his famous,


"A woman's most prized possession is a man's imagination." 

"What's in a slogan?" was and still is today,

  SEX APPEAL!

White Eyeliner a fashion trend by Maybelline New York was introduced in the 1960s

Maybelline New York: Trends To Try

ONLY 1 IN PACK Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Waterproof Gel Pencil, 606 Cashmere White

from Maybeline New York

Ancient Egyptian women and men

 wearing kohl eyeliner, from the tomb of

 Nakht in Thebes (15th century BC)  .https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_liner

My cousin Linda Hughes, Maybelline's namesake, Mabel Williams, granddaughter, and I were discussing the origins of Maybelline Eyeliner.  She did a little research and it turns out our great uncle, Tom Lyle Williams, founder of the Maybelline Company was on top of the trends even in the 1920s, when the discovery of, Tutankhamun's tomb introduced the use of eyeliner to the Western world.   Maybelline was the first to package it and the love for colored eyeliner continued to  grow since Maybelline's birth in 1915.

 By the 1960s,  an era associated with many changes     

 in women's fashion, young girls felt freer to apply           

 makeup more liberally. Twiggy once said the secret to    

her exaggerated eyelashes was the Maybelline mascara

 that had bits of hair in it, thickening and lengthening         

her famous lashes.                                                     

I'm going to try the white pencil on my eyes 

and see what I think

Lido Isle Women's Club in Newport Beach Welcomes Author Sharrie Williams and The Maybelline Story

It was old home week for me last night as I headed over the bridge onto Lido Isle to give my Maybelline Story Presentation to a group of ladies who live on the island. My family moved to Lido Isle in 1968, from Culver City, soon after the Maybelline Company sold. 

 

The beautiful club is on the bay, with a view of the boats and sunset. I remember many luncheons here with my Nana when she too moved onto the Island a few houses down the street from us..

The Lido Isle Women's Club was established in 1933. The Island itself was man made in the late 1920. Very few people lived in Newport Beach at that time. Today it is one of the most sought after real estate properties on the Gold Coast of California.

This is the view from the window of this elegant Women's club.  Our family's home was a few blocks down the street with the same view. So you can imagine how excited I was to return to my old world.

The Ladies of the club were delighted to see my 45 minute power point presentaion and take a walk themselves down memory lane. They had so many personal memories of being teenagers and buying their first tube of Ultra Lash in the 1960s.

The Maybelline Company was generous enough to donate a box of Maybelline mascaras to me for  the event, and every lady received one when they registered at the door.  They were delighted.

The Maybelline Story spans 100 years this year, and I pointed out how it was the Flapper's in the 1920's that brought Maybelline to the top of it's game. Many lady's remembered their grandmother's having the little red box of Maybelline with the black cake of mascara and brush inside.

The Maybeline Story is beloved by all women around the world, but for this group once it unfolded at the Villa Valentino, in the Hollywood Hills, the ladies really could relate to the glamour of the era.

Fashion and Maybelline have gone hand and hand since they met in 1915, but it wasn't until Coco Chenille made it fashionable to be glamorous, fashionable and independent in the 1930's that Maybelline became a household word.  

 

As you can see I was utterly dazzled to tell my story to a group of women who loved it as much as I do. Maybelline isn't just a corporate name or product it is part of the American culture and has been there inspiring women to be the best they can be. Maybe she's born with it, or maybe ii's Maybelline

Maybelline's Silent Film Models, Colleen Moore and Louise Brooks, both Beautiful and Brilliant in their own way

Because she was a respected actress before she was known as a flapper, she made the flapper respectable. By removing the fear many held towards this new movement, she made it possible for a new generation of independent young woman to appear on the screen and to explore new degrees of independence in the real world.https://sites.google.com/site/colleenmooresite/

Colleen the sweet girl next door Flapper

 

Louise Brooks  represented the sexy American Flapper.

Louise Brooks was one of the most fascinating personalities of Hollywood, always being compared with her most important characterization as protagonist: Lulu in Georg Wilhelm Pabst's Pandora's Box (1929). Along with her beauty and talent she had an independent streak and refused to accept the restrictive role that women had in American society, and pretty much went her own way, which caused quite a bit of controversy. Not everyone found her rebellious nature off-putting,

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000315/bio

Colleen Moore has a permanent dollhouse exhibition in Chicago . After leaving film she came back to Chicago. She was brilliant and became a partner at Merrill Lynch. The name her book is Cast of Killers. She was a multifaceted person... a movie producer as well. She and King Vidor were going  to collaborate on a movie about the murder of a director named Taylor.  It seems Louise Brooks was more successful Than Colleen Moore. 

Comment by Linda Hughes, Maybelline's namesake, Mabel Williams granddaughter.

Thank you Linda for the idea for this post. After watching both video's my take is, because of the 1920's, the audience was more attracted to a wild, rebellious sex siren, than a sweet talented actress. Sex appeal always wins. Maybelline ads were based on it, in the most modest way. 

Four Generations of Beautiful Maybelline Brides

Maybelline featured a Bride and Groom, in this charming 1943 World War ll ad. Here is a gallery of four generations of Maybelline weddings in the Noel J. Williams line of the family

Mr. and Mrs. John B, Clark, (Kelly Brown) recently married in Colorado.  They  carry on the tradition of beautiful weddings set nearly 100 years ago.

John's mother, Nancy Williams Clark, at her wedding in California, 1976, carried the elegance set by her mother in the 1940's.

John's grandparents, Mr. and Mr. Noel Allen Williams at their wedding in Chicago, 1949. Noel and Jean were married for  over 45 years.

 

John's great grandparents, Noel James Williams and Frances Allen married in 1916, in Morganfield Kentucky.

Noel was one of the original founders of the Maybelline Company, along with his brother Tom Lyle Williams and their sister and namesake Mabel Williams in 1915.

Read more about the Williams family in "The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It"

MAYBE IT'S MAYBELLINE Pony for sale.

Maybe It's Maybelline "Whoopie" is a one of a kind pony. She has a very sweet disposition. Whoopie can take your child from cross rails and fancy enough to do the medium pony hunter division. Whoppie is eligibly green.

 She has show miles in the hunter and jumper ring. No spook. Has done up to 1st level dressage, Pony Club, and Cross Country. She is Super brave and will jump anything that is put in front of her, banks,water,bright jumps,natural jumps anything.

 She loves to jump and will always take care of her rider. Take her to the lake and she will swim your child around. She is great on the trails and has done a lot of hunterpaces and fox hunts. 

She is barefoot and sound. Up to date on all shots. 

Sadly selling as the child has out grown. Whoopie has been with current child for the past five years. A perfect home is a must!

http://www.bigeq.com/p-Maybe_It_s_Maybelline-Quarter_Pony-Hunter-20208.php

Speaking of horses Frederic the Great is the most spectacular horse I've ever seen. Watch him and see if you don't agree 

Vintage Maybelline print ads considered works of art.

1933 black and white Maybelline ad.

 

1938 full page color Maybelline ad.

                 Maybelline black and white ad from 1952

Maybelline two page color ad in 1960

GREAT REVIEWS: this book will be turned into a movie in the future if it is not already in the works.

A tale of real people finding themselves, dreaming big and never giving up.

    One reason I read is to learn from the experience of others. This is why I loved the Maybelline Story (that and the exciting American history backdrop in Chicago and Hollywood). The characters in this story are vibrant and inspiring. I was swept up into their journey and struggles so much that I read the book in 3 days! I love a book that stirs my emotions enough that I actually care about how the lives of the characters unfold. Some face their demons and move into the light, all find their way. This is a tale of real people finding themselves, dreaming big and never giving up. It screams HBO mini-series all over it.

  I saw a woman reading this book on a recent flight so I took a quick look at it. I spent several hours reading it yesterday and did not want to put it down. It is a real page turner for anyone interested in history, Hollywood glamour, self made men and family drama. It has very little to do with makeup and everything to do with building a business, while the family's dynamics and secrets unfold. I'm sure this will be turned into a movie in the future if it is not already in the works. 

  This was the fastest read I've ever done! The legacy, the story, and the drama behind it kept me intrigued! its a great story about the uprising of the company and the family of Maybelline. Tom Lyle Williams and the story behind him is truly one of a kind!  I would recommend this read to anyone. Can't wait for the movie! Great Read! 

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