Raquel Welch at the Smithsonian ~ in a bikini

I’m in Texas this week and thought it was a good time to post some Texas-related memorabilia.

Some Texas Hold ‘em poker buffs know that an 8-3 starting hand is “Raquel Welch,” but do they know that Ms. Welch has a prominent place in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington as a statue wearing a bikini? Oh yes, it’s true. See:

20070925raqelwelchfurbikini.jpg

Her place in the gallery is as part of a permanent exhibit. According to this article, the physical model in the picture was used for the cover of the November 28, 1969, issue of Time. This may not be the famous fur bikini that she wore in the film One Million B.C., but it still calls out her 60s persona, back in the days when she was “the world’s most photographed woman.”

The Smithsonian isn’t all rocket ships and Edward Hopper. You can find all kinds of interesting things. There is one room in the Natural History Museum that has rows and rows of sea cucumbers and starfish. And, like the bikini above, strange, tiny garments are no stranger to our national treasures. One time there was an American Soldier exhibit that had a section on “the things that they carried.” The contents included a package of Lucky Strike cigarettes, a deck of cards, and a pair of black lace panties.

If you have never visited Washington, go! The museums really are that great. If you do live in Washington, do whatever you can to take a behind-the-scenes course at any of the museums. There are thousands of treasures to be discovered.

Oh, and the Texas connection to Raquel Welch goes beyond poker. She lived and worked in Dallas for a period of time, which included doing some modeling for Neiman Marcus.

- - - -

Posted on October 2, 2007
Filed Under Art, Bikinis, Cultural Symbols |

Comments

One Response to “Raquel Welch at the Smithsonian ~ in a bikini”

  1. Scarlett on October 3rd, 2007 2:45 pm

    All very well and fine, but what do you know about hogtie?

Leave a Reply