Joan Personette was born on June 30, 1914 in Irvington, New Jersey. She studied at the New York School of Design, then worked for Rusick's Clothing Store. Personette later became evening gown designer for Milgrim's. She designed costumes for the...
more
Joan Personette was born on June 30, 1914 in Irvington, New Jersey. She studied at the New York School of Design, then worked for Rusick's Clothing Store. Personette later became evening gown designer for Milgrim's. She designed costumes for the Roxy Theatre stage shows from 1939-1952 and went on to design the Broadway musical revues Hellzapoppin, 1938, and Two on the aisle, 1951. Personette also designed costumes for a number of editions of Skating vanities, ca. 1940s-1950s, as well for nightclub shows, and for actress Tallulah Bankhead's television show and Las Vegas debut. She married financier John J. ("Jack") Dreyfus in 1939. They had one son, John; they separated after four years and later divorced. In 1959, Personette studied under Hans Hofmann in Provincetown, Massachusetts, then at the Art Students League, and also with Milton Avery, developing her talent as an abstract painter and collage artist. Her work has been exhibited nationally, including several retrospectives. Personette died in Reno, Nevada, where she had lived for several decades, on August 29, 1998. Original costume designs by Joan Personette. Includes 50 color designs, possibly for Roxy Theatre shows, ca. 1940s, and several designs possibly for Skating vanities, a skating show produced annually, ca. 1940s-1950s. All the designs are matted and framed; a number are signed; several include swatches; a few have handwritten captions.
less