International Pageant of Pulchritude
The winners of the 1930 competition.
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| Date | 1926 - 1935 |
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| Location | Galveston, Texas, USA |
| Also known as | Miss Universe |
The International Pageant of Pulchritude, also known as the International Beauty Contest or Miss Universe, was a beauty contest that began in 1920, featuring contestants from multiple nations. This pageant originated the title Miss Universe and was the first international contest. The last pageant event in the USA was held in 1931 although additional Miss Universe events were held until 1935. This contest served as a model for modern contests that began after the war.
The contest originated in Galveston, Texas, USA. The last Miss Universe event of this pre-World War II era was held in Brussels, Belgium. Though this contest served as a model and inspiration for the modern Miss Universe contests, the modern organization has no direct affiliation with these older contests.
During the early 20th century, the island city of Galveston, still recovering from the devastating Hurricane of 1900, launched efforts to strengthen its tourism industry building new venues such as the famed Hotel Galvez and organizing regular waterfront events.
Beauty contests had existed around the U.S. since the 19th century as a means to build tourism for local communities. These events were generally local affairs featuring women from the communities themselves. In 1920 promoter C.E. Barfield organized a new event in Galveston known as "Splash Day." The event featured a "Bathing Girl Revue" competition as the centerpiece of its attractions. "Splash Day" was the kick-off of the summer tourist season in the city and was carried forward annually. At its height the event was one of the largest beauty contests and would literally triple the island's population during the weekend when it ran, attracting spectators from around the nation.
A trend toward national beauty contests developed in many nations such as Turkey, France, and Brazil, as well as the USA where both the Galveston event and the younger Miss America event in Atlantic City attracted contestants from around the nation. In 1926, taking advantage of this trend, the Galveston event became an international competition known as the "International Pageant of Pulchritude." The winner of the contest was awarded the title of "Miss Universe." In 1927 the contest became two separate events held over two days: one to award the title of "Miss United States" and one to award "Miss Universe." The "Miss United States" pageant drew contestants from as far away as New York and Utah. The "Miss Universe" pageant included contestants from a variety of countries including England, Russia, Turkey, Austria, and many others. Prizes were given to the top competitors. In 1929, for example, "Miss Universe" was given US$2000 in gold (US$28,000 in today's terms) and a silver plaque.
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