Most everyone at some point has used Palmolive dishwashing soap, or at least has seen its familiar label containing the perfect shot of a long, slender and smooth hand grazing a glass. But few know the iconic hand on the label belongs to Roanoke native Elizabeth Barbour, one of the top hand models in the industry in the1980’s.
Barbour’s exclusive print agent for almost a decade was the prestigious Ford Modeling Agency, the pre-eminent New York agency during that era. The two-hour Palmolive photo shoot took place in New York City near Union Square in 1983 for the purpose of reproducing the hand on the label.
“The set was very simple with only one assistant to help with lighting and loading film. It was in the days when the photographer would disappear under a black piece of cloth to peer into his camera and shoot real film,” recalled Barbour. The photo was then airbrushed, resulting in the glass having an illustrated appearance. She was paid $650 for the photo shoot.
The hand modeling trade proved to be a lucrative career. Barbour was able to set her own schedule — by earning $350 hourly and $2,500 daily, she was financially able to travel all over the world to numerous destinations including the Caribbean, Nepal, Australia and Thailand. In addition to the pay that she received from photo shoots and television commercials, every time a commercial featuring her hand(s) was renewed for individual 13-year period increments, she received additional compensation.
Barbour left Roanoke for New York City shortly after graduating from high school. It was there that she took acting classes and visited photography studios to model for extra money. While she did some couture modeling, many of the photographers kept telling her that her 5’8” height wasn’t tall enough or that her hair was too curly. Several of them asked her if she had considered hand modeling. It was after completing a season on the couture runway circuit in Paris that she returned to New York and decided that hand modeling may be the route to go.
Barbour’s ultimate goal was to have the opportunity to sign a contract for exclusive representation by Ford Models. Her first hand modeling gig came about when her roommate introduced her to a magnum photographer who shot some photos of her hands holding a hair dryer. She then searched trade journals to find still life photographers and would often work for free in order to build her portfolio. In some cases, she worked with photographers who were trying to build their portfolios as well, so it was a win/win situation for both parties.
A friend who was a food designer used Barbour as a tagalong. After less than a year of worn shoe leather and dimes in payphones, her portfolio had grown to the point that she was afforded the opportunity to sign a contract with Ford Models for exclusive representation. Once signed on with Ford, all appointments and bookings came from them. “I had put my whole self into it. I was determined,” noted Barbour.
While there was a glamorous side to her career, the hours were often long and the work could be tedious and physically demanding. “I wore long gloves almost up to the elbow most of the time, even to the beach, and I had my hands and arms waxed so they would be smooth and attractive as possible. Applying lotion regularly throughout the day was a necessity,” she commented.
Barbour got to the place where she became tired of being in that urban environment and relocated to Colorado where her work focused on real estate development, and writing magazine articles on such diverse topics as skiing, profiles and history.
In the early 1990’s, she made the decision to return to her hometown. Having earned a Masters in Writing from Hollins in 1998, she wrote a collection of short stories that stemmed from experiences she had while spending six months in South America. Barbour has also written articles on a wide array of topics that have been published in a variety of publications. Her non-fiction book, “Telluride Images of America” was published in 2006 and is currently in a fourth printing.
While Barbour’s current profession is writing, she continues to have the beautiful hands of a hand model. Perhaps there really is something to the slogan from the ad campaign originating in the 1960’s, “Palmolive softens hands while you do the dishes.” Barbour says she still uses Palmolive; it’s easy on the hands and she looks for it whenever she travels internationally, so what does that say?
By Susan Ayers [email protected]