In the papers of Samuel Peeples at the American Heritage Center, a surprising discovery was made: a scrapbook dedicated to Clara Bow, the silent film star of the 1920s.
Filled with newspaper clippings and photographs, the scrapbook documents Bow's life and career, from her rise to fame to her retirement in the 1930s. Peeples, known for his work in Westerns and science fiction television in the 1960s and 70s, seems an unlikely fan. But he appeared fascinated with her career.
Nearly a century later, Clara Bow found herself back in the spotlight thanks to Taylor Swift's 2024 song "Clara Bow". The lyrics draw parallels between the two iconic figures and the pressures faced by celebrity women.
The Clara Bow scrapbook and Swift's lyrics create a bridge between the past and present, highlighting the timeless challenges faced by women in the public eye.
To learn more, see the Samuel Anthony Peeples papers at UW’s American Heritage Center.