Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Arts

Major

History

Date of Defense

4-19-2024

Graduate Advisor

Deborah Cohen

Committee

Peter Acsay

Andrew Hurley

Kara Moskowitz

Abstract

This paper delves into the captivating saga of Nellie Muench, a St. Louis housewife whose life intersected with the burgeoning celebrity culture, evolving media landscape, and shifting gender dynamics of the early 20th century. Muench's involvement as a co-conspirator in the 1931 kidnapping for ransom of a wealthy doctor propelled her into the spotlight, where she navigated media manipulation to attempt to craft her own narrative. Secretly obtaining a baby and passing it off as her own child to gain jury sympathy and blackmail a rich paramour took interest in her case to sensational tabloid (and legal) heights. Drawing from newspaper coverage, private correspondence, and Muench's own writing, this analysis reveals how she was portrayed not merely as a criminal but as a new type of celebrity, challenging traditional archetypes of women in the public eye. Sections of the paper dissect various aspects of Muench's life and the broader context in which she operated. This includes an overview of the Muench saga from its origins to her post-kidnapping endeavors, a discussion on crime and celebrity culture in the era, an exploration of Depression-era womanhood and its portrayal in media, and an analysis of Muench's strategic media interactions. Her adept manipulation of roles — from glamorous New Woman to modest motherhood — illustrates the complex interplay between personal agency and societal constraints faced by women during this transformative period. This paper underscores the multidimensionality of Nellie Muench's story, portraying her not just as a criminal or a victim of circumstances but as a shrewd navigator of the evolving celebrity landscape, offering insights into the intersections of gender, media, and fame in early 20th-century America.

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