Peggy Hamilton
American fashion and costume designer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Peggy Hamilton (born Mae Bedloe Armstrong; 1894 – February 26, 1984) was an American fashion and costume designer who designed many dresses for Hollywood silent actresses in the 1920s and 1930s. She was also the editor of a fashion column in The Los Angeles Times and a fashion commentator on the radio. She was "one of the first boosters of Los Angeles-made fashions."[1]
1894
Peggy Hamilton | |
|---|---|
Hamilton in 1931 | |
| Born | Mae Bedloe Armstrong 1894 Colorado, U.S. |
| Died | February 26, 1984 (aged 89–90) Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupations | Fashion designer, costume designer, fashion editor, radio personality |
| Spouse | 6 or 7 |
Life
Hamilton was born Mae Bedlow Armstrong in 1894 in Colorado.[2][3] She grew up as a member of high society in Los Angeles from the age of 10.[3] She studied fashion in New York and Buenos Aires.[3]
Hamilton began her career as a designer in New York City in the 1910s, only to move to Los Angeles to work for the Triangle Film Corporation shortly after.[3] She designed many dresses for Hollywood silent actresses in the 1920s and 1930s,[1] including Gloria Swanson, Myrna Loy, Norma Shearer, Dolores del Río, Joan Crawford, Betty Davis, and Greta Garbo.[2] She designed a dress whose pattern matched the ceiling of the ballroom inside the Biltmore Hotel painted by muralist John B. Smeraldi for its dedication in 1923.[1][4]
Hamilton was the editor of the fashion column in The Los Angeles Times from 1921 to 1934.[5] She was also a radio commentator on fashion from 1929 to 1933.[5] She was the hostess of the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles,[6] and she became "one of the first boosters of Los Angeles-made fashions."[1]
Hamilton was married six or seven times, including John Quincy Adams IV, a descendant of President John Quincy Adams.[3] She resided in Hollywood, where she died of cancer on February 26, 1984, at age 90.[1][6]
