Tallulah Bankhead

Tallulah Bankhead, 1927. Photograph by Cecil Beaton.

Tallulah Bankhead (1902 – 1968) was an American actress of the stage and screen, talk-show host, and bonne vivante. Bankhead was also known for her deep voice, flamboyant personality, romances with men and women - Read more on Wikipedia

Lowry refers to her in his novel Ultramarine when one of the crew, Norman sees her photograph on the  wall of the crew's quarters; "He will remark for the hundredth time the pictures on the wall. Tallulah Bulkhead - or is it Bankhead?" (Pg. 138)