Valeska Suratt, The First Vamp
Valeska Suratt, born in June of 1882, was one of the most well-known silent film actresses of her time. Valeska was a different kind of silent film girl, preferring to stay away from the classic flapper girl look, instead, opting to go with a more goth theme. She is often considered to be the first “vamp” of the silent era stars, acting with smudged makeup and tousled hair. Her work was so impressive that it was rumored it gained her a $10, 000 check from Grand Duke Boris of Russia. During her career, she appeared in 11 films, all of which are now lost; sources say they were destroyed in the 1937 Fox vault fire in Little Ferry, New Jersey.