a photograph of the seven 'Daisy Girls' in The Jewel of Asia,
a musical comedy by Frederick Ranken and Harry B. Smith, with music by Ludwig Englander

left to right: Ida Gabrielle, Maude Wycherley, Ethel Gilmore, Reine Davies, Lillie Brink, Ella Ray and Erminie Earl

(photo: Dadmun, Boston, 1903)

The Jewel of Asia, starring James T. Powers with Blanche Ring, opened at the Criterion Theatre, New York, on 16 February 1903. 'The distinctive feature of this septette of beauties is that they were all society maidens before they went before the footlights, even though Who's Who fails to give a leading clew. This is perhaps accounted for by the fact that Miss Gabrielle is French and figures in the Blue Book of the fashionable St. Germain, Miss Wycherley is English, as anyone may confirm who studies Burke's Peerage, Miss Brink is Irish, of a famous Dublin noble family, Miss Davies being Scotch; her ancestors owned landed estates adjoining Balmoral in the heather country. The rest of the galaxy are American members of the smart sets of Louisville, Baltimore and Philadelphia respectively. Two of them are heiresses in their own right, one has a marquisite in view, a third, the pretties of all, as she may be readily picked out, is engaged to a young man in Harvard, the heir of thirty millions, and another looks like Edna May. Altogether this is about as interesting a collection of daisies as can be found in any field.' (magazine clipping, United States, 1903) * * * * * * * *

© John Culme, 2009