DAISY GIRL EXHIBIT SERIES A: New Jersey Courier Article

CONELRAD obtained the newspaper article below that clearly identifies Monique Corzilius as the Daisy Girl from the Corzilius family (see first two paragraphs of article image or transcription).

We also obtained the article independently from the Ocean County (New Jersey) Library, Toms River Branch in August of 2009. Finally, CONELRAD contacted the reporter, Barbara Steele, via telephone on August 16, 2009 and confirmed with her that she wrote the article. Ms. Steele, who now works in local government in New Jersey, recalls writing the article but not the specific details of the story (understandable after more than 45 years).

In a letter to CONELRAD dated September 24, 2009, Birgitte Olsen’s (the would-be Daisy Girl)  former agent, Monica Stuart, stated she was not impressed with this newspaper article and argued that it could be an example of “self exploitation” by “stage parents” to latch on to a famous commercial. Based on CONELRAD’s interviews with Monique Corzilius’s parents, this scenario seems highly unlikely.

EXHIBIT A [New Jersey Courier article]

The New Jersey Courier
November 5, 1964
Page 11

Transcription:

LOCAL TOT COMMERCIAL MODEL IN TV; NATIONAL MAGAZINE

By Barbara Steele

Pine Beach—One of the most controversial political commercials to be shown on television during this presidential campaign featured a little girl plucking petals from a daisy. When she reached the last petal, the camera zoomed in for a close-up then switched to an atomic explosion.

The commercial shown on national network prime time was pulled off the air after a few showings. Thus marked the television debut of Monique Cozy, alias Monique Corzilius, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Corzilius, Tudor Ave. here.

Those who missed the political commercial can see Monique at work in October issues of Post and Look or the November issue of Reader’s Digest where she is featured in a full page color advertisement for leading pharmaceutical companies. The theme of the ad is: “Her children may never hear of polio.” It shows Monique holding a sugar cube created with Sabin vaccine. Her long red hair and a splash of freckles across her nose make her easily recognizable.

One of the most amazing things about Monique’s career is that it began just this past July. At the urging of a friend who works in an advertising agency, the Corzilius’ had their three daughters listed with various modeling agencies. Results began to happen almost immediately.

Monique and her two sisters, Patty, 7, and June, 5, posed for a Lipton soup ad. As Monique’s mother explains, a number of models are used for each job. The model to be used is selected from the series of finished prints. So many times the model doesn’t know whether she was the one finally selected until she sees the ad appearing or starts receiving the residual checks. She is paid for her time regardless of whether she is the finalist or not.

When school began Patty and June had to stop their new found careers, but Monique, who is 3 ½ has no such limitations.

Mrs. Corzilius finds taking Monique to New York an exciting break in the monotony of house-work. Patty, who would rather spend her time swimming, has become Monique’s best press agent, telling all who care to listen about her little sister’s accomplishments. June can’t wait until the summer when she can start modeling again, and Dad seems a bit overwhelmed by it all.

Photographers find Monique a joy to handle. She makes up pretend stories and thinks she is acting them out. The little model is very indifferent to seeing her face splashed across the interior of the national leading magazines. She did not have a chance to see her TV debut, since it was shown after her bedtime.

Mrs. Corzilius finds that because Monique had to eat soup for the Lipton commercial on her first job, the youngster now somehow connects modeling with eating and saltines must be kept on hand for all jobs.

The agency which used Monique has set her minimum wage at $25 per hour, placing her in one of the top child modeling categories. The Corzilius’ plan to save the profits for the girls’ college educations.

Monique has quickly become a popular model. She has made a number of advertising stills, but it is not known yet whether she will be the finalist. Some of these which soon should be appearing in newspapers and magazines would show Monique in a zoo scene for Prudential Insurance, wrestling with her stage father for Eastman Kodak, one of a series of seven children for Heinz, topping a corn flake parfait for Kellogg’s—or eating her way through Lipton soup.

Fine Print: All of the archival images and documents used in this article were provided to CONELRAD by the Corzilius family and they are used with exclusive permission. No images or documentation from this article may be reproduced without the written permission of the Corzilius family.