Almost every black same-gender identified and old vintage black Hollywood-lovin' blogger has a Nina Mae McKinney post on his or her blog. I originally did mine when I first started out in 2008, and it remains one of my most popular blog posts. I decided to revisit that post (NINA MAE MCKINNEY: A BLACK DECO FILM GODDESS!) because I wanted an excuse to use the two photos here, and because I'm trying to channel another lost Nina photo to finally come my way.
Way back before Kevin E. Taylor told me that I should think about becoming a blogger, before I ever knew how to copy an online image, I saw a rare photo on Ebay of Nina Mae McKinney. I'd never seen it before and I've never seen it since. It was an early shot of McKinney sitting in a studio makeup room getting her face beat by big-time Hollywood make-up artists. If I'm not mistaken, there was a large Kleig light shining on her face and it just left me FLOORED! I'm not sure if George Hurrell ever photographed McKinney but it was THAT GLAMOROUS!
The bidding started at big money and you can bet it sold for big money, but is that buyer the ONLY ONE with a copy? Universe, bloggers, drive-by visitors, McKinney devotees ... ARE YOU LISTENING? If you've ever seen this photo, heard about it, know where I can find it, have a copy, want to share it, want to tease me - LEAVE A COMMENT!
5/12: Two different readers just sent me these today. I think they're most interesting and they look to have been shot at the same session. I've seen them before and they're really quite unusual! Thanks Joseph and Mychaeltodd!
Joseph came through with another one! Thanks DUDE! And this one is from his personal collection of autographs!
WOW! I had THIS ONE in my OWN collection and forgot to include it! She looks caucasian here. At times, McKinney photographed weird!
These last two were added today (5/13). I found them myself and they are SERIOUS! Wouldn't you agree? I was going to sit on them but I couldn't resist!
KEEP THEM COMING! KEEP THEM COMING! KEEP THEM COMING! UNTIL I FIND THAT ELUSIVE ONE!
Love Nina!
Posted by: Brandon | May 11, 2011 at 06:50 PM
I'll see what I can do, have you thought about copying his one?
Posted by: Mychaeltodd | May 12, 2011 at 01:01 PM
@Thanks Mychaeltodd! I appreciate you looking into it. However, umm ... yeah, I was able to use the ones here because I already have them in my collection. Smile! Thanks, bruh!
Posted by: Corey | May 12, 2011 at 01:11 PM
Those eyes! Puts me in the mind of a black Bette Davis. “All the boys think she’s a spy. She’s got Nina Mae McKinney Eyes.”
Posted by: DesperateArtist | May 13, 2011 at 09:05 PM