Josephine Baker's Life in Photos

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1906: Born in St. Louis

Josephine Baker was born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri on June 13, 1906. Although there is some speculation as to who Baker's biological father was, many say it was Eddie Carson, who worked as a vaudeville drummer in St. Louis with her mother, a former music hall dancer.

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1914: A Difficult Childhood

After her father left the family, Baker was 8 years old when her mother sent her to work as a live-in maid for a white widow. It was there, and in other jobs Baker held when she was a girl, that she suffered abuse and ill treatment.

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1919: Breaking Away

At the age of 13, Baker ran away in hopes of becoming a dancer. She found work waitressing at the Old Chauffeur's Club and dancing on the street for money. In 1919, she landed her big break: Touring the country as a dancer with the Jones Family Band and the Dixie Steppers.

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1919: Married and Divorced

Not long after Baker ran away from home, she met her first husband, Willie Wells, who was an automated pullman. Baker married him when she was 13, but the two were divorced within weeks.

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1921: Another Marriage

While touring the country at 15, Baker came across William Howard Baker in Philadelphia. The two married and the young dancer took his name, officially becoming Josephine Baker.

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1923: New York, New York

After being offered a job in New York, Baker relocated to the bustling city. Her marriage broke down due to the move and the two divorced—but she kept his name. The performer was on the brink of stardom and arrived in the city on the cusp of the Harlem Renaissance.

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1923: Hello, Broadway

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1925: A Move to Paris

An opportunity to headline La Revue Negre in France led Baker to move to Paris a few years later. The success of her show, and the fascination with American jazz in Europe, helped Baker's career soar, and she became a highly sought after performer in the French city.

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1926: Making a Name for Herself

After Baker performed the Danse Sauvage with her partner, Joe Alex, in a feathered skirt (and nothing else), she became known for her elicit outfits. She often posed nude, or near nude, which was well-received by the French.

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1926: The Beginning of the Banana Skirt

In a 1926 performance at the popular concert hall Folies Bergére, Baker wore a banana skirt during La Folie du Jour. The outfit became synonymous with Baker's on-stage persona and one of the most iconic wardrobe choices of the era.

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1925: Chez Josephine

As her star power continued to rise, Baker invested her money into her very own nightclub, Chez Josephine.

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1926: Business and Pleasure

Shortly after arriving in Paris, Baker was approached by Count Pepito Abatino to manage her career. The two began an on again, off again romantic relationship, though they never married.

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1927: At the Top

It wasn't long into Baker's tenure in France that she ascended to the top of the ranks in the industry. By the end of the 1920s, she was the highest paid performer in Europe and the hottest act in Paris.

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1928: Becoming Black Venus

As Baker became more and more known for her provocative costumes and performances, she cultivated an image as a sex symbol. Baker earned nicknames, like "Black Venus" and "Black Pearl," and her admirers included everyone from Ernest Hemingway to Pablo Picasso.

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1928: Socializing in Paris

Baker dines at a chic restaurant in Paris in 1928. The young performer was out to dinner with famous writer Georges Simenon, his wife, and her manager and lover, Pepito.

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1930: Recording Her Own Music

With the rise in Baker's profile, opportunities like recording her own music began to appear. In 1926, the singer recorded her first song and throughout the next 50 years she would produce over 200 songs in various languages.

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1931: Josephine and Chiquita

While working as a cabaret star in Paris, Baker was gifted her pet cheetah, Chiquita. The animal wore a diamond collar and was known to accompany her on stage.

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1934: A Film Career

Baker transitioned into films and earned her first major role in 1927's Siren of the Tropics. It was a box office hit and she was awarded with a starring role in 1934 in Zouzou, making her one of the first Black actresses to land a leading role in Hollywood. She followed it up with another hit the next year, Princesse Tam-Tam.

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1936: A Return to the United States

Although she found success in Europe, Baker returned to the United States in 1936 to make a name for herself in her home country. She headlined with the Ziegfield Follies, but was met with hostility and racism by audiences, and returned to France after the tour.

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1937: Outrage Over Racism

Baker's experience returning to the U.S. made a lasting impression on her, as she was outraged by the blatant racism she encountered. Upon her return to France, she became a French citizen, and embraced the country as her home.

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