Avery Trufelman

But this whirlwind experience made Linda ready to move on.

She went to live in New York for a spell, and then eventually went back west.

And she lives in Portland now, and she's spent much of her career working in museums and collections there.

She can drive to the Maryhill Museum of Art in two hours.

And she does, every so often.

To remember this beacon of hope for post-war France

and this evidence of a parallel life she once had.

Because the other witnesses to her story are mostly gone.

Most of the artisans and experts and historians who were involved with the mannequins in both of their incarnations have passed away.

In a lot of ways, this story has become Linda's.

After our weekend together, Linda sent me a quote that she had heard a long time ago, which had stayed with her.

It was attributed to Ben Brantley, the theater critic for The New York Times.

Glamour is whatever you can't have.

It is best perceived at a distance, either literally or emotionally.

Knowledge kills glamour.

This just seemed so utterly true to Linda.

She experienced the shadow side of her jet set life with Susan.

She knew about the suffering and deep trauma behind the tiny mannequins.

And yet, I personally don't know if knowledge kills glamour entirely.

Wounds it severely, for sure.