During the latter part of the 19th century, Martha Jane Canary was the most publicized woman in America. If her name is unfamiliar, you may recognize her nickname: Calamity
Jane.
Though just what Calamity Jane actually did has been open to endless debate for over a century. Her claims of being a scout, nurse and Indian fighter and counterclaims of her
being an outlaw and a prostitute have never been truly confirmed. But even if the facts are a mess, the PR legend continues to shine.
"The first press notices about her resulted primarily from her behavior," says James D. McLaird, author of the new biography "Calamity Jane: The Woman and the Legend"
(published by University of Oklahoma Press). "She sneaked along with the Jenney expedition to the Black Hills in 1875, wearing men's clothing so she could accompany them
and not be noticed. Not only was her presence noted, two correspondents described her for their readers for Chicago newspapers (the Chicago Times and the Inter-
Ocean). Her charisma and ability to attract attention via her unusual behavior might have drawn the reporters' attention, but there was also an element of luck that two
journalists happened to be along and thought her presence warranted a story."
McLaird notes this happened again two years later: "The same was true when writer Horatio N. Maguire described her in his promotional Black Hills writings in 1877. She drew
attention to herself with her claims to have been a military scout and by her behavior and dress, but it was pure luck to gain national attention once again through Maguire's
story."
This coverage started a PR bonanza that evolved with rapid speed: The creation of a fictionalized "Calamity Jane" character in the hugely popular Deadeye Dick dime novel
series. While she gained no royalties from the co-opting of her name and image, she nonetheless became a superstar.
"After 1877, Calamity Jane, due to being featured in dime novels, received press attention almost everywhere she traveled simply because she was famous," he says.
McLaird notes Calamity Jane was a queen of the personal appearance circuit, entertaining audiences with her tales while selling copies of her autographed photographs and her
ghosted autobiography. "She continued to tell her tales of having served as a scout, Pony Express rider, stage driver, etc. (none of which seem to be true) and now had an
audience," he adds. "She often claimed she disliked press attention because they wrote untruths about her, but there is no doubt she sought attention to the time of her death in
1903."
While press coverage of Calamity Jane was frequently unflattering, mostly because her chronic alcoholism resulted in embarrassing publicity, her PR force still resonates.
She's been reimagined as glamorous in films starring Jane Russell and Doris Day and as a gritty and earthy character by Robin Weigert on HBO's popular "Deadwood." But
McLaird believes the PR legend continues to obscure the genuine person.
"Contemporary images of Calamity Jane have little to do with the real woman," he says. "They, like the dime novels, merely use her name for the woman with the characteristics
the writer wants to feature."
Contact: James D. McLaird, [email protected].