Stitched Portraits: Hedy Lamarr

(b. Nov. 9, 1913) Quite possibly the most striking star of MGM's Golden age was also a progressive genius. Hedy Lamarr. Known for her sexually charged and liberating role in the film Ecstasy (1933), she went on to star in many Hollywood films. At the same time she was working with the avant-garde composer, George Antheil, on a system of frequency-hopping as a means of secret communication. We now refer to this technology as "cell phones" and have Lamarr to thank.

A renaissance woman, Hedy Lamarr: