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Reviewed by Courtnee Turner Hoyle for Readers' Favorite
Nancy Thornton Navarro and Adriana Thornton-Cornejo, two daughters of the late Walter Thornton, along with historian Philip Mershon, present The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton. Shocked to see a photo of their father in the movie Seabiscuit, the women researched their father's life before he met their mother. Before they knew it, the sisters were uncovering their father's past, layer by layer, spotting his flawless profile and "pinned on" ears in old advertisements. He opened his own modeling agency, Walter Thornton Modeling Agency, in the Chrysler Building and focused on training women who were strictly interested in modeling. After investing in hundreds of women who married wealthy bachelors or were pulled into cinema, he advertised that his agency could make women into stars. Thornton, once a homeless orphan, was dubbed "The Star Maker" and instigated the "pinup girl" movement during World War Two. Although the authors knew pieces of his younger days from photographs and his comments, their father's fame in the United States surprised them.
It's hard to believe Nancy Thornton Navarro and Adriana Thornton-Cornejo knew very little about their father's life before 1958, but his unwillingness to flaunt his early successes shows Walter Thornton's humble and honorable character. Even though the book is written about events before their births, the authors deliver information accumulated from historians, like entertainment historian Philip Mershon, and resource librarians, most notably from the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library. I learned about the Powers Agency, an almost-rigged Miss America Pageant, and the many women Thorton helped during his career. The book is written with the details and care you would expect from loving family members as they reveal the mystery behind their father's photo in a popular movie and so much more. If you are interested in learning about a veritable treasure and a true gentleman, you will enjoy The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
