Eleanor Kay Kinner Curtis,
a Utah Deaf Model
Compiled & Written by Jodi Becker Kinner
Published in 2019
Updated in 2024
Published in 2019
Updated in 2024
Eleanor Kay Kinner Curtis, also known as 'Kay,' was a pioneer and the first Deaf model in Utah and the United States. At 5'10" and slim, she was a living testament to her unique fashion sense and creativity. Her outfits were stunning and represented her keen eye for fashion. Kay's daughter, Rebecca Curtis Larsen, believes that her mother's potential in the modeling and fashion industries would be limitless if she had been able to hear.
Kay loved posing for photographs because of her beauty. During her senior year at the Utah School for the Deaf, Kay posed for Auerbach's department store, one of Ogden, Utah's most significant clothing stores. She also posed for many photos at Collins/Morris Photography while showcasing various outfits. In April 1953, the Utah School for the Deaf published the Utah Eagle magazine, which featured Kay on its front cover.
Rebecca reveals that discrimination, particularly in pushing the Deaf to choose 'unlikely' employment, was rampant throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Being a woman in Utah would have been an additional hurdle. If Kay had been a graduating senior today, Rebecca believes she would have had more opportunities to pursue a modeling career (Rebecca Curtis Larsen, personal communication, March 11, 2019). Despite these challenges, Kay's resilience and talent shine through in the images of her dressed in 1940s and 1950s clothes.
Kay loved posing for photographs because of her beauty. During her senior year at the Utah School for the Deaf, Kay posed for Auerbach's department store, one of Ogden, Utah's most significant clothing stores. She also posed for many photos at Collins/Morris Photography while showcasing various outfits. In April 1953, the Utah School for the Deaf published the Utah Eagle magazine, which featured Kay on its front cover.
Rebecca reveals that discrimination, particularly in pushing the Deaf to choose 'unlikely' employment, was rampant throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Being a woman in Utah would have been an additional hurdle. If Kay had been a graduating senior today, Rebecca believes she would have had more opportunities to pursue a modeling career (Rebecca Curtis Larsen, personal communication, March 11, 2019). Despite these challenges, Kay's resilience and talent shine through in the images of her dressed in 1940s and 1950s clothes.
Eleanor Kay Kinner poses for pictures at the
Utah School for the Deaf in Ogden, Utah
Utah School for the Deaf in Ogden, Utah
Eleanor Kay Kinner poses for
clothing catalogs as a model
clothing catalogs as a model
Note
Rebecca Curtis Larsen, personal communication, March 11, 2019.