In Ragtime (1981), Elizabeth McGovern stepped into the corseted world of Evelyn Nesbit—one of the most scandalous and misunderstood figures of early 20th-century America. Evelyn was more than a Gibson Girl beauty. At just 16, she became the face of a media frenzy when her husband, millionaire Harry Thaw, murdered famed architect Stanford White—Nesbit’s former lover—on a rooftop in Manhattan. It was dubbed “The Trial of the Century.” Elizabeth’s haunting performance brought Evelyn’s pain, glamour

Evelyn Nesbit, 1902 – Photographed by Gertrude Käsebier This 1902 portrait captures Evelyn Nesbit, one of the most famous faces of the early 20th century. Photographed by Gertrude Käsebier, a leading figure in American art photography, the image shows Nesbit at the height of her youthful beauty and quiet allure. Born December 25, 1884 (or 1885) in Tarentum, Pennsylvania, Evelyn became one of the first true supermodels, inspiring artists, photographers, and illustrators across the Gilded Age. Her