These photographs document the Miss American Pageant held in Atlantic City in 1945. Models were wearing bathing suits and posing in high heels. There were speeches and displays of genuine talent on stage. LIFE photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt was there to document the event in his photographs.
Miss America’s annual competition was first held in 1921 a “bathing beauty revue”, and for almost five decades the only white women participated and won the title. African-American women did not even begin competing in the pageant until the 1970s. Vanessa Williams was the first African-American who won the first beauty pageant in 1984.
In the following competition, Miss Bess Myerson won the title, she was the first Jewish winner of the pageant and she also received a scholarship as part of her victory prize. Take a look at the photos below of the 1945 Miss America beauty pageant.
