The first Miss Estonia beauty pageant took place in 1923 and was arranged by Estonia Film who were looking for a new actress. The first competition was won by Sinaida Tamm. In 1931 Lilly Silberg became Miss Estonia and went on to represent Estonia at the Miss Europe competition. Lilly was born in Tallinn in 1906, her father Jaan Silberg was a distiller from Männiku Manor and her mother was born in Kurna Manor, Jüri parish.
Lilly Silberg was called the brightest pre-war Miss Europe contestant, who knew not only how to enjoy her beauty, but also how to benefit from it. Even though Lilly was 25 years old at the time of the Miss Europe competition, she knew how to act like a real lady and thanks to that she was successful on the international arena.
In 1931 the Miss Europe contest took place in Paris and Lilly Silberg was awarded second place. After the competition Silberg decided to remain in Paris and worked for Jean Patou's fashion house. A year later her sister Ellen Silberg joined her in Paris and they both modelled for Jean Patou. Patou was considered a pinoeer of women's fashion, a revolutionary who liberated the female figure.
In 1938 Lilly Silberg married chemical engineer Dick Brizzard and quit her job at the fashion house. The couple didn't have any children. During World War Two, Dick Brizzard was a fighter pilot and his plane was shot down by the Germans. Brizzard survived, but his spine was injured and he spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Lilly took care of him until his death in 1963. After losing her husband Lilly went to live with her sister in Marseilles. She had a villa there where she loved to spend her summers. Lilly Silberg-Brizzard died on the 14th of October 1969 in Marseilles.
