Vintage Photos of the First Well-Known Black Model Helen Williams in the 1960s

Helen Williams Jackson (née Helen Williams) is an African-American model. Working as a stylist in a New York photographer's studio, Williams was discovered at age 17 by celebrity clients such as Lena Horne and Sammy Davis, Jr.

Her career began as an exclusive model for magazines such as Ebony and Jet. However, the discrimination she faced in the United States led her to relocate to France in 1960, where she found success modeling for designers such as Christian Dior and Jean Dessès.

She returned to the U.S. in 1961 and despite initial roadblocks went on to be the face of major ad campaigns by brands such as Budweiser and Sears. She was one of the first clients of Ophelia DeVore’s Grace De Marco modeling agency.