Diana Serra Cary, born Peggy-Jean Montgomery, was the general book buyer at the UC San Diego Bookstore in the 1980s. In the 1920s, she was known as “Baby Peggy,” the wunderkind of celluloid with a $1.5 million annual film contract. More recently, she was heralded as “the last living silent film star” and she still holds claim to that title, despite having passed away at 101 on Monday, February 24.
“Baby Peggy” had to pretend to sign her film contract in 1923, as she wasn’t old enough to read or write. When her film career was over, it was a revelation to many that she still did not know how to read or write as she was too busy making movies to go to school. Overcoming her educational dilemma and the unfortunate mishandling of her film fortune, she became a proud literacy advocate, a child-rights champion, and even a best-selling author.
To pay tribute to Cary, the Library will be curating an exhibit including movie posters, books she authored, photographs, magazine articles, transcripts from interviews, and more. The exhibit will be on view April 1-30 at Geisel West, 1st Floor.
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