Steve Martin

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Reports from the time say, Princess Dinubolu wore red robes

Railway Station >came to Southend by third-class compartment with her heart, win, the city of the beauty contest. But her entry would lead to a scandal, the headlines around The World . Why? Since the year 1908, and she was black.

The manager of Southend is sat at The Kursaal amusement Park in his office when the telegram came from Great Yarmouth .

"Wasn't it read allowed to compete for beauty show here because of the color," it is. "Do you have a rule, apart from me? Answer Post, Princess Dinubolu, Senegal . "

Far from impressed by the attention of the kings, the manager responds to the mysterious Princess was dull.

"'t he give it back," telegrammed. "Local Prejudices. "

But it was not to be overlooked Princess Dinubolu to. You joined not only the 'brunette' and 'best hair" category, But also the 'blonde' category.

news of her entry soon spread to the city by the sea. Many were scandalised, not to be found when a local Committee was able to you, there is nothing in The Rules apart from The Competition .

More Than 3,000 spectators Packed into The Kursaal in Southend for the year 1908 beauty contest Newspapers in London dispatched a Reporter to The Scene , and from there the story spread quickly, even reaching New Zealand .

So The Press was attentive to slip, when The Princess came to travel to Southend, she decided to travel third-class in an attempt to go unnoticed.

your plan failed, however, and soon found himself as the reporters interviewed.

Speaking through a translator, She Said : "I would Like to show me people that you are fair to all comers, even if you are chocolate-colored.

"people have told me that only the cream-and-pink-little to win English, and that their judges have no eye for any other variety.

"I wish to prove them wrong. I've heard that a black baby won a prize in Southend, and I'm sure you will Be Kind alike to all of us. "

at one time, as black people are rarely seen outside of the big cities - and racist attitudes, the thought of a black woman was Legal , the input of The Local beauty contest was too much for Some .

Princess Dinubolu advised not to enter, because of the "local prejudices," says the Sheffield Daily Telegraph win, in fact, the story about the Black Child , a beautiful baby competition in The Town of true. The Kursaal manager - a Mr Bacon complained that he was "absolutely full" of the disgruntled residents for weeks After The Baby , and the victory two years earlier.

Princess Dinubolu the strange history reveals much about the racism and ignorance that prevailed in much of early 20Th Century Britain.

One incident in particular stands.

When a reporter to reveal asked from Southend Daily chronicle your beauty tips, answered The Princess , allegedly: "Ah, you'll laugh, for my beauty bath is very different from the English girls.

"for months I have been staying in Yarmouth, as there is such beautiful Sand , and every morning I'm buried To My neck in The Sand .

"Nothing makes The Skin so velvety; The Belles of My Own country, believe very much in The Sand baths. "

no one doubted her story. In fact, Newspapers had their shock that nobody had in Great Yarmouth , discovered a woman's head sticking out of The Sand .

beauty shows were Big Business at the beginning of the 20Th Century . Here are the winners of the Folkestone international competition, crowned in 1910. Days later, over 3,000 spectators were Packed to watch in The Kursaal , the 49 participants on the stage.

About a third of the people who entered from Southend and its environs, according to historian Jeffrey Green, who has studied the history. Another third was from London, the Rest comes from other parts of the UK, France and America.

Among the competitors, a 16-year-old girl by the name of Miss Lessing, who had traveled from Philadelphia and had obviously won, "almost every beauty show in The States ".

accounts of what Princess Dinubolu wore, to distinguish The Competition . Some say that she was wearing, "West African robes", others that she was "dressed happily in a red Turkish fez material to correspond with the hat".

Marlborough Express in New Zealand , said, "when The Princess of a flutter, came in a state ran through the ranks of their fair competition".

the success of The Show depended on the reaction of The Crowd . The volume and length of applause to decide the participants in the fate.

Princess Dinubolu was cheered by the second round. But her success in The Competition ended.

"When she came to the front of the ramp, dressed in flowing robes, there were no howls of derision. On The Other hand, there was no enthusiastic applause," reported the Marlborough Express.

The Audience , to Southend Telegraph, "too Patriotic" while the Evening Standard said The Princess was "well received, it was by no means a formidable opponent".

Defeated, The Princess left the stage and disappeared from the fabric of the story.

But who is Princess Dinubolu was? The only evidence for their existence is reported in the Newspapers, while not a drawing or a photo of your dug up.

Elsa James, an Artist in Southend, featured The Princess in their most recent Forget Black Essex exhibition.

"I'm Blown Away by the fact that a black woman, which took place in 1908, only through the Newspapers, and it was covered in the whole of the UK, only your participation in this competition," she says.

Artist Elsa James, with news cuttings about Princess Dinubolu the entry in the Southend-beauty-contest "For me it is just so bold and courageous was easy on this white world. In fact, sometimes, with a bit of a joke, how the talk, buried in The Sand . I mean, it was true, of course, But it was as true taken.

", When I thought of who has this kind of attitude and sass, I thought about women such as Beyonce.

"Why would you give The Blonde the area? She wanted to platform a, a little More Than you had, and you got it. "

But it was one of the as it seemed?

The Princess 's Back Story , for starters, seems a little Far -fetched. She Said she had in England arrived After fleeing her father, who was angry she had entered a relationship with a lower class musician. She hoped to win back their place in their father's affection by winning competitions in England, she claimed.

"beauty is considered to be the highest gift of The Gods woman can grant, and I hope that if my beauty is admired in England and get a price, My Father reconciled with me," She Said .

you might also be interested in: The "sass" is shown, the of Princess Dinubolu More Than a century ago was compared to The Presence of Beyoncé, But even if this story seems unlikely, her name is in fact in line with the Senegal or elsewhere in the Islamic West Africa .

Friederke Lüpke, professor of African Studies at the University of Helsinki, said the name Djinabou or Djenabou are widely used "very" in this region.

It was also quite common for the wealthy black Africans travelling to Europe for work or study, according to Prof Hakim Adi , of the University of Chichester.

it was not to make more common in black men, as a trip, it was unusual for black women to do the same.

But when Princess Dinubolu really was from Senegal , he said, it might seem likely they would have traveled to France, such as Senegal , a French colony was, at the time.

whether you are a Princess or not? Again, The Jury is out. There are many black people dress as a "Prince" or "Princess " of dubious reasons, said Prof Adi. said

"Some people used it more exotic," he said. "And of course, there were many Royal families, let's say in Nigeria, so the title of the 'Prince' or 'Princess ' is not quite the same meaning, as it is not here. "

But , of course, the whole strange story that might have been made.

"My Own position is that the whole thing is kind of a fake," says the author and historian Steve Martin , who would have entered the software of a real Princess , you ever, seaside beauty contest.

"The Jury is for the time, as to what was The Real story. It is interesting, But in terms of ideas about race in the coastal cities in Edwardian Britain.

"There are no consequences-in the story," he said, suggesting it was Once Again a false narrative.

everything Was just a publicity stunt for The Event ? Possibly, says Mr Martin. He suspected that The Princess may be a local mixed-race woman, maybe In Cahoots with The Kursaal manager and to the strengthening of the revenue.

According to Princess Dinubolu participation in Southend, it would be another 62 years for a woman of African origin - Grenada will Host Jennifer won the Miss World competition "win had nothing to do with him. The take was part. "

black history month, seaside towns, long reads, senegal, southend-on-sea, great yarmouth

Source of news: bbc.com