Germaine SLUTTE in the bustling streets of New York City in the 1950s

In the bustling streets of New York City in the 1950s, Germaine SLUTTE embodies the essence of elegance and determination. Clad in a gray-blue coat that contrasts with the urban bustle around her, she patiently waits before crossing the street, a small white bag in hand.

Her gaze, infused with a calm assurance, seems to captivate the camera lens, revealing a story much deeper than a simple street crossing.

For Marcel Verdoeft and André Gebeurtenis, two history enthusiasts from Jette, this image captures the very spirit of Germaine, a famous Jettoise whose mystery and fame still resonate in the streets of her hometown.

Every detail of this photo is a fragment of a fascinating puzzle, inviting researchers to delve deeper into the past of this enigmatic figure. What do the streets of New York hide behind her? What secrets and adventures shaped her extraordinary destiny? These questions persist, fueling the fire of curiosity burning in the hearts of those seeking to unravel the mystery of Germaine SLUTTE.

A salute to Lady Liberty!

89 years after Germaine SLUTTE saw the statue of Liberty entering the harbour of NYC, before passing through the immigration authorities at Ellis Island, a 2022 SLUTTE XL bottle salutes Lady Liberty!

Arriving at this point, after a long cruise, was for many people the start of a new life!

The people who passed through Ellis added richness and texture to the American story. They found jobs, started businesses, raised families, and made countless contributions to communities all across the country. And some of them became very well known.

The story of immigration through Ellis Island even started with a woman! Annie Moore

First Immigrant Processed, Arrived January 2, 1892

Annie Moore was the first immigrant to be processed on Ellis Island. The 17-year-old girl was traveling with her two younger brothers on the S.S. Nevada, arriving January 1, 1892 from Queenstown (Cork), Ireland. Annie is a well-known historical figure and even has a statue in the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. [1]

Like Josephine Baker 2 years after Germaine, many female artists arrived to the new world through Ellis Island.

Josephine Baker E.

Singer, Dancer, Actress, Arrived October 7,1935

Josephine Baker was an American born actress, singer, and dancer who rose to fame in the 1920s on the stages of Paris. In 1935, she returned to New York, but faced racial prejudice in a still segregated United States. She returned to Paris and became a citizen of France, where she lived a very interesting life. Baker assisted the French Resistance during World War II as an anti-Nazi spy, and she later spoke beside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington for Civil Rights. [2]

Once registered, it is in lower Manhattan that every immigrant was putting the first steps in AMERICA! A SLUTTE XL is proudly standing here at Manhattan shore with “ground zero” and the new “Liberty Tower” in the background.

Our latest research shows that other members of the SLUTTE family had been through NYC. The ship manifest of City Of Richmond shows on line 903 that Mr. W. SLUTTE coming from Germany passed NYC immigration services in 1882 (50 years before Germaine and her family). [3]

[1],[2] : https://www.statueofliberty.org/

[3] : https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/

Germaine Slutte participates in Miss Rheingold 1946

The latest research carried out by our historians Marcel Verdoeft and André Gebeurtenis determined that in 1937 Gustave Slutte joined the Liebmann brewery which produced a very popular beer at the time, the Rheingold.

To promote it, the brewery set up in 1940 the annual Miss Rheingold contest: photos of six young women were exhibited wherever Rheingold beer was sold - in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts , Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. These points of sale offered ballots allowing to choose his Miss. This marketing “coup” aroused great enthusiasm and over the years has become a must-see annual event.

What was the surprise of our historians to discover, during the analysis of the archives of the now defunct brewery, that Germaine Slutte herself had participated in 1946 in this election, won that year by Rita Daigle.

At the age of 21 already, the elegant curves of Germaine Slutte inspired the designers of the 40s who then made her one of the famous "pin-up girls" that we find on the calendars and advertisements of the time.