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Admired in Alberta Bound

T.C. Beirne & Co. has a proud history of contribution both culturally and economically to Brisbane. Beirne’s as it was often referred to, held a position of prominence as a retailer of choice for decades during the early 1900’s to the 1960’s. T.C. Beirne (known as ‘T.C. Beirnes’ or just ‘Beirnes’) was a long-running department store that stablished Fortitude Valley as the place to shop for fashion in Brisbane. They catered to the middle of the market, offering a comprehensive range of women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing and footwear, as well as fabric, haberdashery, and other household goods. The early success and growth of Thomas Beirne’s drapery business demonstrates the opportunities Queensland held for immigrant fashion retailers Beirne’s retained its independence until David Jones bought it out in 1961. The Valley store continued to trade as T. C. Beirne until being rebadged as David Jones in 1966. The Fortitude Valley store was closed in 1973, in a widespread move by David Jones to cut costs. Thomas Charles Beirne (1860–1949), an Irishman, was the founder and director of the T.C. Beirne department stores, remaining active in the business right up until his death. What started as a modest drapery business made him one of Queensland’s most successful businessmen, and among the first Australian millionaires. Source: tcbandco.com.au/history/

Helmar Liederman of New York filed suit against the contest directors, Armand T. Nichols and Harry L. Godshall, Sr., for $150,000 due to their refusal to allow her to enter the national competition as "Miss Alaska" because she was a married woman, despite being authorized to compete by a newspaper in Juneau, Alaska. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_America_1923 I added her to Wikidata: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q97952548

Helmar Liederman from New York took part in the Miss America 1922 pageant as "Miss Alaska". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_America_1922 The reason why she was barred in 1923 seems to be that the Alaskan newspaper that accredited her was not authorized to do so - and she presumably never was in Alaska, s. Perth Amboy evening news. [volume], September 13, 1923, FINAL EDITION, Page 5, col. 3 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85035720/1923-09-13/ed-... and - www.seniorvoicealaska.com/story/2016/08/01/columns/the-fi... - www.anchoragepress.com/news/arctic-venus-the-first-miss-a...