5.000 lire per un sorriso. Fotografie dal concorso dell’azienda cosmetica Gi. Vi. Emme, 1939-1941

The competition was created in 1939 by Dino Villani and Cesare Zavattini as a marketing campaign for Gi.Vi.Emme toothpaste: participants were invited to send in a photograph of themselves smiling.

It was an instant success and led to an increase in the prize money: luxury goods such as furs, gas cookers and holidays in Cattolica were added, changing the name to 5,000 lire and a smile kit.

And so it was that an entire country decided to bare all and, for the first time, smile for the camera.

After the interruption due to the world war, the competition resumed in 1946 with the title La bella d'Italia (The Beauty of Italy). Shortly afterwards, it took on the definitive name of Miss Italia.