Barbara Goalen, 1921-2002: Box’s Supermodel
Suggested by John Hunt March 2026
Suggested by John Hunt March 2026
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Photos courtesy https://staylace.org/features/fittedfiftiesfinery/barbara_goalen/index.htm
Ex-Box resident, John Hunt, recalled his childhood in the 1950s saying “There was a well-known international model by the name of Barbara Goalen who lived in Kingsdown Asylum. We would often see her out walking.” It is a previously untold story of an important Box resident.
When you imagine elegance and sophistication in the 1950s you might recall the haute couture (high fashion), of Christian Dior and Coco Chanel and the glamour of Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Jacky Kennedy and a host of other international celebrities. But the first of them all was Barbara Goalen, a young woman who lived at Kingsdown House, Box.
When you imagine elegance and sophistication in the 1950s you might recall the haute couture (high fashion), of Christian Dior and Coco Chanel and the glamour of Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Jacky Kennedy and a host of other international celebrities. But the first of them all was Barbara Goalen, a young woman who lived at Kingsdown House, Box.
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New Look Style During the Second World War, clothing austerity and manual work in armament factories resulted in rather drab female clothing, epitomised by dungarees and military uniform. The 1950s style reverted to femininity with hour-glass, close fitting waisted dresses, emphasising the wearer’s silhouette. The mannequin image was enhanced by high heels, elongated eyebrows, bouffant hair styles and ballroom gowns. Model were not expected to move and the word "mannequin" was preferred in the UK rather than the Americanism "model". Barbara's appearance was usually enhanced with pearl necklaces, black gloves and a vintage handbag. A key element of the mystique was that the fashion came from Paris where new designers, such as Coco Chanel, Pierre Cardin and Yves Saint Laurent, all provided custom-made, high quality and, of course, very expensive outfits. For most Box residents, such dresses were only known through the photos in fashion magazines including Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair and Vogue. One person alone stood out as an exponent of the New Look in Box in the early 1950s, Barbara Goalen. |
Courtesy The Sunday Mirror, 10 January 1954
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Barbara Goalen (nee Bach)
Barbara was born Barbara Kathleen Bach in Malaya in 1921, where her father was a rubber plantation owner, but she had west country connections, having boarded at St Mary’s School, Calne as a teenager. In 1939 she was studying as an art student, living with her parents at The Warren, Abbot’s Leigh, Bristol. When war broke out, she abandoned this and became a wartime ambulance driver. She was engaged to an RAF bomber pilot at the age of 17 but he was killed aged 20. She later said, I’ll never forget that as long as I live. It was quite awful and I was so young.[1]
In March 1941 she married Ian Rankine Goalen (1918-1947) from Edinburgh, who had flown for BOAC during World War II.[2] They had two children, Roger and Valerie, and after the war Ian was promoted to be the youngest BOAC pilot in the company’s employment. Ian died tragically, flying a Dakota to France in 1947, when the plane crashed into a hillside, killing five people including Ian, and injuring ten passengers, at least one of whom did not recover. Their journey had been twice diverted because of fog and was attempting to return to UK when it probably ran out of fuel over Kent.[3]
Barbara was born Barbara Kathleen Bach in Malaya in 1921, where her father was a rubber plantation owner, but she had west country connections, having boarded at St Mary’s School, Calne as a teenager. In 1939 she was studying as an art student, living with her parents at The Warren, Abbot’s Leigh, Bristol. When war broke out, she abandoned this and became a wartime ambulance driver. She was engaged to an RAF bomber pilot at the age of 17 but he was killed aged 20. She later said, I’ll never forget that as long as I live. It was quite awful and I was so young.[1]
In March 1941 she married Ian Rankine Goalen (1918-1947) from Edinburgh, who had flown for BOAC during World War II.[2] They had two children, Roger and Valerie, and after the war Ian was promoted to be the youngest BOAC pilot in the company’s employment. Ian died tragically, flying a Dakota to France in 1947, when the plane crashed into a hillside, killing five people including Ian, and injuring ten passengers, at least one of whom did not recover. Their journey had been twice diverted because of fog and was attempting to return to UK when it probably ran out of fuel over Kent.[3]
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Widowed at the age of 24, Barbara went back to her parents with her small son and daughter, and looked around for a new life, suitable for a young lady with breeding but no career. ne of her main attributes was her pencil-thin figure, ideal for modelling at that time, and she went into the fashion industry. Her parents moved into 7 Kingsdown House in about 1947 and her mother looked after the children whilst Barbara was able to pursue her career as a model.[4] Her father John Frederick Noel Bach died in 1949 and was buried in Box Cemetery, plot ND14. Illustration left courtesy Dundee Courier, 3 October 1952) |
Barbara had poise, grace and an acting ability, which she was able to convey in photographs by constant rehearsal and hard work. She was employed by fashion designer Giuseppie (Jo) Mattli as a house model at a time when he was the darling of British post-war fashion revival. Her international fame arose when she became a favourite of the Vogue photographers Clifford Coffin and later John French, whose students included Terence Donovan and David Bailey. Her work took her to London, Paris and New York fashion shows, invitations to notable events, and work to promote British culture overseas. It all happened at a time when international travel was by ship to USA or repeated overnight stays flying to Australia. Each trip undertaken in a blaze of publicity before coming home to enjoy family life in Box.
Nigel and Barbara (courtesy Sunday Express, 14 February 1954)
Marriage to Nigel Campbell
Suddenly in 1954 Barbara gave up modelling when she married Nigel Campbell, a Lloyds Underwriter. They met in 1952 and dispensed with a formal engagement. They married at the Caxton Hall, Westminster, when Nigel was 38 and Barbara 33, still both young people. The venue was used for many celebrity weddings, including Elizabeth Taylor, Anthony Eden and Peter Sellers. It was at the height of her fame and the event was mobbed by onlookers. There was a battery of film and Press cameras and typists waved from their offices. As the car drew up the crowd swarmed round.[5] Miss Goalen, who is 33, wore a black coat with a silver fox collar. She had masses of pearls in link after link around her neck and wore huge pearl earrings.
Suddenly in 1954 Barbara gave up modelling when she married Nigel Campbell, a Lloyds Underwriter. They met in 1952 and dispensed with a formal engagement. They married at the Caxton Hall, Westminster, when Nigel was 38 and Barbara 33, still both young people. The venue was used for many celebrity weddings, including Elizabeth Taylor, Anthony Eden and Peter Sellers. It was at the height of her fame and the event was mobbed by onlookers. There was a battery of film and Press cameras and typists waved from their offices. As the car drew up the crowd swarmed round.[5] Miss Goalen, who is 33, wore a black coat with a silver fox collar. She had masses of pearls in link after link around her neck and wore huge pearl earrings.
At home in London after retirement (courtesy The Sketch, 22 September 1954)
After retirement, Barbara led a private family life, albeit one of affluence. To her great credit she adjusted to being out of the limelight as Mrs Nigel Campbell, as if her fame had never previously existed. The couple moved to London, living for a long time in Chester Square, Belgravia, and holidaying in a villa in Majorca. They had two daughters, Emma and Charlotte. The newspapers were still keen to take photographs and ask her for comments, but she revealed her private life only rarely. She supported the work of women and in 1966 led a protest against parking meters in London.[6]
Although Barbara no longer took part in fashion shows or photoshoots, she retained an interest in the fashion industry, supporting the New Look style and resisting the miniskirts and colours of the 1960s. She wrote fashion articles for the Daily Telegraph and advice on converting a £3 dress into a fashion item for the Sunday Pictorial.[7] She undertook charity and campaigning work, in 1957 selling some of her modelling clothes for the Sunshine Homes for Blind Babies and Children.[8] Nigel Campbell died in 1993.
Although Barbara no longer took part in fashion shows or photoshoots, she retained an interest in the fashion industry, supporting the New Look style and resisting the miniskirts and colours of the 1960s. She wrote fashion articles for the Daily Telegraph and advice on converting a £3 dress into a fashion item for the Sunday Pictorial.[7] She undertook charity and campaigning work, in 1957 selling some of her modelling clothes for the Sunshine Homes for Blind Babies and Children.[8] Nigel Campbell died in 1993.
The Barbara Goalen Jacket in the National Museum of Scotland (courtesy Stornoway Gazette, 25 November 1989)
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Tributes
Barbara Goalen was a national celebrity in the 1950s, the darling of the fashion industry, inspiration of debutants, and an icon of British emergence from war. She oozed class and her looks were called mink and diamonds. More recently she has been dubbed the first supermodel and memory of her lasted far longer than her working life. She was known throughout the world because she offered a glimpse of a glamorous future rather than the drab reality of postwar life.[9] Her lifestyle in the 1950s was hectic with newspapers wanting comments, interviews and photos. Fame followed her for the rest of her life, usually with vague references appealing to middle-aged women in national newspapers. There was a charming interview in 1970 in The London Evening News when she spoke of her pleasure in family life.[10] She had qualities we could do with today. |
Conclusion
Barbara Goalen’s world has largely disappeared from our lives but the fascination with celebrity, elegance and the hope for a better future remains. Thank you, Barbara, for bringing charm and sophistication to all of us and linking Box to international elegance.
Barbara Goalen’s world has largely disappeared from our lives but the fascination with celebrity, elegance and the hope for a better future remains. Thank you, Barbara, for bringing charm and sophistication to all of us and linking Box to international elegance.
References
[1] The Sunday Express, 18 April 1976
[2] The Scotsman, 6 August 1943
[3] The Scotsman, 13 January 1947
[4] The Sunday Express, 9 October 1949
[5] Manchester Evening News, 16 February 1954
[6] The Daily Express, 22 February 1966
[7] The Sunday Pictorial, 10 January 1954
[8] The Evening News, 6 July 1957
[9] There are some wonderful photos of Barbara in Rachel Mitchell’s article at https://www.bygonely.com/barbara-goalen/ and https://www.vintag.es/2022/09/barbara-goalen.html
[10] The Evening News, 26 June 1970
[1] The Sunday Express, 18 April 1976
[2] The Scotsman, 6 August 1943
[3] The Scotsman, 13 January 1947
[4] The Sunday Express, 9 October 1949
[5] Manchester Evening News, 16 February 1954
[6] The Daily Express, 22 February 1966
[7] The Sunday Pictorial, 10 January 1954
[8] The Evening News, 6 July 1957
[9] There are some wonderful photos of Barbara in Rachel Mitchell’s article at https://www.bygonely.com/barbara-goalen/ and https://www.vintag.es/2022/09/barbara-goalen.html
[10] The Evening News, 26 June 1970