Is the Alleged Josie Earp Photo Really of Evelyn Nesbit?

A former artist’s model turned “Florodora Girl,” Evelyn Nesbit married Philadelphia society scion Harry K. Thaw in 1906. A few months later, after attending a musical at Madison Square Garden’s rooftop theatre, Thaw shot and killed Nesbit’s former lover, architect Stanford White.

One of our readers, Phil Martin of Long Beach, California, was watching American Experience on PBS, which was airing Evelyn Nesbit’s story. “For some reason, she looked familiar to me,” he says, “and later, when I ran across the so-called Kaloma photo, I knew why. I?went online and looked for more photos of Nesbit, and the more I?saw, the more I?thought she looked like Kaloma, but it still didn’t look exactly right. I?reversed the Kaloma photo and superimposed it on the Nesbit photo, and I?think it’s pretty close. What do you think??Is Evelyn Nesbit the infamous Kaloma?”

Old West photo collector Robert G. McCubbin admits there is a strong resemblance between the women:?the jawline/cheekline are perfect; both wear hair very low to eyebrows; and both have very long necks. One big difference is that the Kaloma model has full lips, whereas Nesbit does not. Nesbit also flashes a toothy smile. Nobody can say positively if Kaloma is really Nesbit.