Thing of Beauty (67 page)

Gia’s mother. Kathleen Sperr, in her den decorated with magazine covers (1): Gia as a Brownie (2); brother Michael Carangi at the Altantic City luncheonette of his late father. Joe Carangi (3): Kathleen and Joe with Joe. Jr. in 1958 (4)

The locker Gia shared at Lincoln High (5): Bowie apostles camped out at Philly’s Sigma Sound Studio (Joey Bowie,
far right)
hoping to be invited into sessions for
Young Americans
(6) Nancy Adams. Gia’s aunt and peer (7); Northeas girls Karen Karuza and Gia (8)

One of Gia’s first modeling test shots (9) by Joe Petrellis (10); a photo (11) from the portfolio of Maurice Tanner baum (Mr. Maurice. 12) that first got Gia noticed at Wilhelmina; Gimbels ad (13)

The “Hollywood Board” at Wilhelmina Models, adorned with posters of founder Wilhelmina Cooper—Gia’s first surrogate mother in New York—and her discovery (14): a candid Polaroid (15); the first promotional card for Gia (16);
(opposite page)
the Lance Staedler shot that first opened doors for Gia in New York (17). and a Staedler private photo (18)