I imagine it's because she got famous right about the time photography was getting perfected, but she's the earliest historical sex symbol that I can look at and see what the fuss was about. You see images of so many reputed great beauties of history and have to wonder if tastes were really that different back then, or if faces have evolved, or if it's just due to the limitations of technology. But with Evelyn, you can see her pictures and think "Yeah, she'd still be hot today." I can't recall seeing photos (or paintings) of any supposed hotties earlier than her and seeing the appeal.