Seattle photojournalist Karen Ducey | multimedia, news, editorial, and documentary photographer

DOCUMENTARY: Miss USA Beauty Pageant

Hosting the Miss USA Beauty pageant brought pomp and pizazz to Gary, Indiana; a city plagued by violence, poverty, and crime. In 2001, at the time of this pageant, Gary was ranked Murder Capital of the Country for the 7th year in a row in cities with populations over 100,000.

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Dan Felder, from Chicago, was in town trying to find clients to rent his baroque limousine for the upcoming pageant. © Karen Ducey2001
   
Elementary students Brittany and Brianna Tinoco Brianna greet Miss USA delegates at the Trump Hotel in Buffington Harbor upon their arrival in Gary, Indiana on Valentines Day. © Karen Ducey2001
   
A $30,000 banner was hung over the abandoned Sheraton Hotel across the street from the convention center where most pageant festivities in Gary were held. (© Karen Ducey 2001)
     
  
A limousine in town for the Miss USA Beauty Pageant passes by one of Gary's many dilapidated buildings. In an effort to improve the city 253 buildings were demolished last year. "The city may not have been ready" explains Richard Grey, managing editor of the local paper the Post-Tribune, "but if you wait until you're ready you're never gonna have these things." (© Karen Ducey 2001)
   
A hospital patient peers out her door to check out all the fuss in the hallway as several Miss USA delegates and their entourage make a PR stop at Methodist Hospital in Gary, Indiana. (© Karen Ducey 2001)
   
Stella Rosemon styles her hair and tries to decide if she will wear a hat. "To live in Gary and have the Miss USA pageant here is really a thrill." she says. "I never thought I would see the day when we would have a pageant here." (© Karen Ducey 2001)
     
  
Police officer detective corporal Michael Jackson (right) stands guard as Miss California, Jennifer Jean, exits the beauties' bus outside the Genesis Convention Center on the final night of the Miss USA beauty pageant. © Karen Ducey 2001
   
Dorothy Ige from Gary,Ind. was invited to judge the preliminary show of the Miss USA beauty pageant. "It brought hope to the city." she said "I have never seen so much excitement and something that would bring people together so much. It crossed age, gender and race boundaries. Everyone was talking about it rather than talking about the negative things of the city." © Karen Ducey 2001
   
The beauty pageant gets rave approval from Ashley Green (left) from Olympia Fields, IL and Taryea Whitkeg (right) from Gary who watched the Miss USA Beauty pageant dress rehearsal from the upper decks at the Genesis Convention Center in Gary,Indiana.© Karen Ducey 2001