Missouri Historical Society Selected to Preserve Prestigious Josephine Baker Collection
ST. LOUIS - The Missouri Historical Society (MHS) will soon become the steward of an extraordinary private collection of Josephine Baker memorabilia, thanks to a generous charitable bequest from longtime St. Louis philanthropist Mary Strauss. The gift ensures that the legacy of the legendary entertainer and civil rights activist– born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis’ Mill Creek neighborhood– will be preserved and shared for generations to come.
The collection includes rare and significant artifacts such as a 1970s-era performance costume complete with boots, an original plywood theater cutout from Baker’s 1935 film Zouzou, a striking oversized French poster featuring Baker’s signature “banana dance” imagery, and an intricately designed 1926–27 show program with a cutout cover revealing a portrait of Baker in her prime. Also included are original photographs and other historical ephemera assembled over decades.
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Portions of the collection have been previously showcased, including at a 2021 event honoring Baker’s historic induction into France’s Panthéon and again in the 2023 St. Louis Sound exhibit at the Missouri History Museum. The full scope of the bequest, one of the largest of its kind to the organization, was publicly revealed during a ceremony today, Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at the Missouri History Museum.
“We are deeply honored that Mary Strauss chose the Missouri Historical Society to protect, preserve, and share this remarkable collection,” said Jody Sowell, president and CEO of the Missouri Historical Society. “This gift reflects exactly what we strive to do at the Missouri Historical Society: preserve St. Louis’s unique history and connect it to broader national and global narratives. Josephine Baker’s story is a powerful example of how someone from St. Louis helped shape the world.
“Josephine Baker was an extraordinary artist and human being,” Strauss said. “It’s been one of my life’s great joys to amass and care for this collection. I feel so fortunate to have items that capture her at her zenith – programs, posters, photographs, a costume, and Bakerfix items to name but a few – each one reflecting a different side of her brilliance. I’m thrilled that they’ll one day belong to the people of St. Louis.”
While the collection will not be immediately placed on public view, it will be professionally preserved and incorporated into future exhibitions, research, and educational programming. This planned donation also adds significance to the Society’s upcoming major exhibition. Baker’s original home, Mill Creek, a vibrant Black neighborhood erased by urban renewal in the 1950s, will also be the focus of the upcoming major exhibition Mill Creek: Black Metropolis, opening on November 15, 2025. The exhibit will help illuminate the rich cultural and community life that once thrived in Mill Creek, offering a deeper understanding of the neighborhood’s significance in St. Louis history. The Baker story and artifacts from the collection will be included in the new signature galleries opening in 2027 and featured in a temporary show on Josephine Baker in 2028.
The announcement comes as the Historical Society continues its We Are St. Louis capital campaign, launched in February, which will enhance the organization’s capacity to preserve and share important collections like this one.
More information is available at WeAreStLouis.org.
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