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Lester Gaba

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Lester Gaba (1907 – 12 August 1987) was an American sculptor, writer and retail display designer.

Life and Career

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Gaba was born in Hannibal, Missouri. His parents owned a general store, but Gaba took no interest in the shop, spending most of the time on his own, drawing. At the age of 10, he participated at a soap sculpture contest[1] organised by Procter & Gamble. Although he did not win it, participating changed his life. He decided he would become a proficient soap sculptor. He went to art school in Chicago, where he spent a lot of time in Lake View, where Chicago's homosexual population congregated.[2]

He found his first job at Balaban & Katz theater corporation, where he made posters. Since the art director of the company was entranced by the soap figurines Gaba made, they were readily used for magazine covers and the like. Advertising agencies seized on the technique and soon Gaba's soap carvings were adorning magazine covers as well as being marketed as a children's soap. He published several books on the sculpting of soap in his time.

By 1932 Gaba had moved to New York, where he began to design a lifelike mannequins. One of his creations, a mannequin nicknamed "Grace", appeared on the cover of Life Magazine [3] and another mannequin known as Cynthia that was created for Saks Fifth Avenue became rather famous. As a result, Gaba used the attention Cynthia garnered to further anthropomorphize her allowing Gaba to become known for his mannequins. Gaba's development of lighter-weight mannequins, with more natural, human features, along with Cynthia's popularity impacted the use of mannequins in retail sales marketing; soon a whole host of ‘Gaba Girls’ followed.

The Gaba Girls were life-sized, carved-soap mannequins modelled after well-known New York debutantes for the windows of Best & Co. They reduced the weight of a New York store mannequin from 200 to around 30 pounds and with the Gaba Girls and their realistic successors’ appeal, mannequins became a popular new tool for sellers to attract their clientele.

During his first years in New York, it is claimed but unverified that Gaba had a relationship with Vincente Minnelli.[4][5] When Minnelli left for Hollywood, Gaba seems to have remained aloof, and single for the remainder of his life.[clarification needed][6]

In cooperation with the National Soap Sculpture Committee, he wrote a book on the technique of Soap Carving called "Soap Carving, Cinderella of Sculpture".[7][8]

From 1941 to 1967, Mr. Gaba contributed the weekly column "Lester Gaba Looks at Display" to Women's Wear Daily, commenting on aspects and trends of window display design as marketing for retail clothing. In the 1940s and 1950s, Gaba began staging elaborate and theatrical fashion shows for the Coty Awards, the March of Dimes, and for fashion trade groups; the creative shows involved various highlights, such as marionettes, and/or and props such as the Hope Diamond and the Star of the East.[9]

Gaba in addition to his soap sculptures and mannequin designs became an accomplished jewellery designer. His work for Coro Jewelry consisted of higher end costume and was very “Americana”.

In December 1942, Gaba was inducted into the army and wouldn't return to work until 1953 continuing to do retail fashion display work.

In retirement, Gaba was asked to teach at the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising, now LIM College. He became a noted academic on visual merchandising, and taught for several years. Gaba later owned a home on Fire Island where he vacationed.[10] In his later years he became noted for his still-life painting.

Gaba wrote the seminal text "The Art Of Window Display" in 1952,[11] one of the first serious books on the topic in the marketplace.

Cynthia

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Cynthia was a 100-pound (45kg) mannequin who had realistic imperfections like freckles, pigeon toes and even different sized feet. Gaba would posed with Cynthia around New York City for a Life Magazine shoot[12] with the article humorously showing how lifelike the mannequins had become. Cynthia's fame soon grew and grew. She was given a credit card from Saks Fifth Avenue, a box seat subscription to the Metropolitan Opera House, Cartier and Tiffany sent her jewellery, Lilly Daché designed hats for her, and couturiers sent her their latest fashions, furrieries sent minks. Soon a whole host of ‘Gaba Girls’ followed. Cynthia also had her own newspaper column, was invited to the wedding of the former Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson in 1937 and had a successful radio show.

Cynthia went to Hollywood to appear in Artists and Models Abroad (1938) with Jack Benny. She received huge amounts of fan mail. Cynthia was photographed by Alfred Eisenstaedt. Cynthia went to the Broadhurst Theater in New York, to see the notorious play 'Madame Bovary', in 1939. Gaba insisted that Cynthia had laryngitis, to account for her lack of speech. Gaba, reminded pesky writers that Cynthia was a lady, and therefore a good listener. But the beautiful Cynthia met her demise when she slipped from a chair in a beauty salon and shattered into a thousand pieces.[13] The press reported her death, and Gaba appeared distraught, but since Cynthia's mold was very much intact, she was to live again.

When in December 1942, Gaba was inducted into the army and while he was away Cynthia was retired and it wasn't until 1953 that she came back to appear in public on a TV show but the magic was over and Cynthia was soon retired for good.

Death and Legacy

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When Lester Gaba was 80 years old, and lived in Manhattan, he died of cancer of the colon at Beekman Downtown Hospital. There were no surviving relations.[9]

Lester Gaba was a hybrid artist whose influence on modern art is underestimated. He reinvented the store mannequin and revolutionised window dressing. Years before Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, he already displayed giant dotted images. His public appearances with Cynthia make him a pioneer of performance art. Comic Strip artist Wyeth Yates[14] created a comic novel about Lester Gaba.

References

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  1. ^ Jennifer Jane Marshall: "Clean Cuts, Procter & Gamble's depression-era soap-carving contests"
  2. ^ Leeander Scott: "Gabbing over Gaba"
  3. ^ Life Magazine (July 12, 1937)
  4. ^ Mark Griffin (9 March 2010). A Hundred Or More Hidden Things: The Life and Films of Vincente Minnelli. Da Capo Press. pp. 16–. ISBN 978-0-306-81893-6.
  5. ^ Emanuel Levy (14 April 2009). Vincente Minnelli: Hollywood's Dark Dreamer. St. Martin's Press. pp. 56–. ISBN 978-1-4668-0005-2.
  6. ^ Gerald Clarke: "Get Happy", biography of Judy Garland
  7. ^ Lester Gaba: "Soap Carving" (New York: The studio publications inc.) Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Souliere, Michelle (April 6, 2010). "Soap carving . . . ?". Portland, Oregon: The Green Hand Bookshop. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Obituaries – Lester Gaba, Mannequin Artist". The New York Times. New York City. August 14, 1987. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  10. ^ Dullea, Georgia (13 August 1977). "On Fire Island, There Are No Cars, and a Red Wagon is No Little Thing". The New York Times.
  11. ^ The art of window display. Studio Publications in association with Crowell. 1952.
  12. ^ Life Magazine (December 13, 1937)
  13. ^ New York Magazine (May 26, 1969)
  14. ^ "Love Machines #5: The Most Beautiful Girl in the World". Retrieved 2018-07-19.
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