Nancy Thornton Navarro and Adriana Thornton-Cornejo with Philip Mershon’s
WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR
OF
The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton
The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton
Book Summary
Imagine losing a parent and discovering he had a secret life you’d never known about. You and your siblings embark on a quest to uncover what it all meant, becoming enmeshed in a series of images and anecdotes found in newspapers, magazines, books, and documents. Ultimately, you realize your parent was not just famous, but VERY famous! Walter Thornton was famous during a time when it was easy to be forgotten (1920s to the 1950s), making the discoveries about his life all the more engaging due to the involved process of uncovering them.
Through alternating perspectives presented by two sisters, the Thornton saga unfolds in a whirlwind of surprising revelations, thrilling with unexpected drama, adventure, and glamour. Just imagine beautiful models, pin-up girls, Hollywood royalty—Thornton was a true trendsetter. This book unveils the captivating story of Thornton’s rise from an orphan to a charismatic male model to a visionary who transformed advertising by founding the first-ever agency for advertising models. But hold onto your hats because there’s more! Get ready for dramatic twists, encounters with models who transformed into Hollywood legends such as Lauren Bacall, Susan Hayward, and Grace Kelly, and a hint of McCarthy-era intrigue—it’s a gripping tale worthy of the silver screen itself!
Publisher: Tile House Publishing, LLC
ASIN: B0CZF5WH15
ISBN-13: 979-8989273553
Print Length: 240 pages
Purchase a copy of The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. You can also add it to your GoodReads reading list.
Author Interview
Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot, and plan, or is your writing more organic?
Our book is a unique memoir/biography, co-authored by my sister and me. As we uncovered the incredible history of our father, a significant yet lesser-known figure, we felt compelled to share his story with the world. The writing process was more organic than structured; as we uncovered different aspects of his life, the narrative naturally took shape. Initially, the story unfolded in a non-linear fashion, leading to some confusion. However, as we began to organize the events chronologically, the story’s full arc became clear and cohesive.
Do you identify with your main character, or did you create a character that is your opposite?
Yes, we deeply identify with our main character, our father. This book chronicles his life and career before we were born—a side of him we never knew. By the time we entered the picture, he had retired and relocated to Mexico, where we grew up. His previous life of fame and accomplishments was something he never discussed, so discovering these aspects of his past came as a complete shock, even to our mother.
Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?
Absolutely. Our book offers rich historical insights, particularly into the early history of modeling agencies—a subject that has been largely overlooked. A key focus is our father’s pioneering role in establishing the very first modeling agency. Additionally, we encourage readers to critically examine historical photographs, especially one iconic image of our father selling a car with a sign indicating he lost everything in the Stock Market Crash of 1929. This photograph has become a powerful symbol, closely associated with the Crash and the ensuing Great Depression. In the book, we explore the ongoing debate surrounding this specific image, shedding light on the complex relationship between history and perception.
What is your favorite line from your book?
Our favorite line from the book is something our father wrote to document the history of the Pin-Up Girl:
“What’s in a ‘Pin-Up’ that could stir the hearts of countless GI’s, the curiosity of eminent professors, and the imagination of the public? There is more than meets the eye, and for the Pin-Up story, we go back to 1940.”
This quote served as a guiding light for us, prompting an in-depth exploration of the Pin-Up movement that provided comfort and motivation to soldiers during the second war. These images were more than just pictures—they symbolized home, love, and everything the soldiers were fighting for. Through our book, we aim to educate younger generations about the profound impact these images had on soldiers. In the face of war’s horrors and the deep ache of homesickness, soldiers found comfort in these familiar faces—representing home, love, and everything they were fighting to protect. Thousands of these photographs, sent by our father, featured models who looked like the girl next door, with simple beauty and minimal makeup—unlike the glamorous Hollywood starlets, who seemed far removed from the soldiers’ everyday realities.
To date, what is your favorite (or most difficult) chapter you have ever written?
The most difficult chapter to write was the one detailing our father’s arrest. He was forcibly removed from his Park Avenue offices and publicly humiliated before the media. This chapter not only recounts his arrest but also the arrest of all his employees, including many young women working in the modeling industry, one of whom was pregnant. It was an emotionally challenging chapter, but it was essential to include it to portray the full scope of his life’s story.
About the Author
Walter Thornton’s daughters have devoted countless years to researching, writing, and archiving their father’s extensive collection of photos and documents, discovered in the attic of their childhood home. Drawing upon the invaluable insights collected from their father’s documents and aided by the assistance of numerous librarians from esteemed institutions such as the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, and others across the country, as well as historians, they have fully immersed themselves in the quest to unveil their father’s narrative.
Nancy Thornton Navarro is a former trademark and copyright attorney who has also served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Irving, Texas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Nancy currently lives near Dallas with her husband and is a proud mother of three.
Adriana Thornton-Cornejo (R) is a Programmer, 2D Artist, and CAD Drafter at Focus 360, a company serving the Home Building Industry. Adriana hopes that, with renewed public interest in her father’s life and career, she can one day open a Walter Thornton Museum. She lives near Los Angeles with her husband and their two sons.
Philip Mershon is an entertainment industry historian and storyteller who loves going down a good rabbit hole in search of the truth. He lives in Palm Springs, California.
Find them online at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMerchantofVenus
Webpage: https://themerchantofvenus.com
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Clarence_Thornton
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thorntoncornejo
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themerchantofvenus/
Blog Tour Calendar
August 5th @ The Muffin
Join us at The Muffin as we celebrate the launch of The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton. We’ll interview the authors and give away a copy of the book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
August 6th @ Just Katherine
Visit Katherine’s blog for a guest post about the beginnings of modeling. She also shares an excerpt from the book.
https://justkatherineblog.wordpress.com/
August 8th @ Knotty Needle
Visit Judy’s blog for her review of The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
https://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/
August 10th @ Boots, Shoes, and Fashion
Join Linda’s blog for her interview with the authors about The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
https://bootsshoesandfashion.com/
August 12th @ Finished Pages
Visit Renee’s blog for her review of The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
August 14th @ Create Write Now
Join Mari for a spotlight of The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
https://www.createwritenow.com/life-matters-blog/
August 15th @ Chapter Break
Visit Julie’s blog for an interview with the authors about their book The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
August 17th @ A Wonderful World of Books
Visit Joy’s blog for an excerpt of The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/
August 20th @ Sara Trimble’s blog
Join Sara for a guest post by the authors about early silent movie stars and their distinctive makeup.
https://saratrimble.wordpress.com/
August 26th @ One Writer’s Journey
Visit Sue’s blog for her review of The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
August 28th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog
Visit Anthony’s blog for a review of The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/category/reviews/
August 30th @ Choices
Visit Madeline’s blog for a guest post from the authors about the history of the Chrysler Building.
https://www.madelinesharples.com/
September 1st @ Sarandipity’s Designs
Join Sara for her review of The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
September 1st @ Boys’ Mom Reads
Visit Karen’s blog for her review of The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
https://karensiddall.wordpress.com/
September 2nd @ One Writer’s Journey
Visit Sue’s blog for an interview with the authors about their book The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
September 4th @ Candid Canine
Visit Christine’s blog for her review of The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
https://candidcanine.blogspot.com/
September 8th @ Jill Sheets’ blog
Visit Jill’s blog for her interview with the authors of The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton.
https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/
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