In Memoriam: Doris Eaton Travis

While watching the Tony's last night, I was surprised to see Doris Eaton Travis--last living star of the Ziegfeld follies--during the memoriam segment. I mean, I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised considering she was 106 years old! seriously. How amazing is that? But I was still saddened to learn of the news, which happened just last month.

Most of my knowledge of Doris has come from this amazing book, Century Girl, by Lauren Redniss (you know, because she lived over 100 years!). I bought this book in my senior year of college, and I think it might be the most inspiring book I own. It tells the story of Doris's amazing life through a gorgeous mingling of collage, drawing, and hand-lettering.

At the time of purchase, it really opened my eyes to a way of presenting information in the most engaging way I had ever seen. This book single-handedly influenced two of my most major pieces of work in art school: two visual books, one was a biography of Coco Chanel and the other, my senior thesis, was a history of hairstyles from the 1950s and 60s (entitled Hairquakes!).

So here's to Doris! A woman who beat all the odds.