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Story: Beauty contests

Baby show, 1911

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Baby show, 1911

Baby shows were a form of beauty (or perhaps 'cuteness') contest for babies and small children. Here, a group of Wellington mothers and their babies are vying for the top spot at a baby show held at the Karori Garden Fete in 1911. The fête was held to raise money for the Society for the Protection of Women and Children. In the 2000s baby shows are no longer contests, but instead are information and trade events.

Using this item

Auckland Council Libraries − Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Reference: AWNS-19110223-3-4

Permission of Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Kerryn Pollock, Beauty contests – Beauty contests, 19th century to the 1950s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/38674/baby-show-1911 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 14 November 2012, updated 1 December 2015.