ST. LOUIS — The legacy of entertainer and St. Louis native Josephine Baker will live on at the Missouri Historical Society through the donation of what it called one of the largest collections of the icon's artifacts Wednesday.

The museum, located in Forest Park, will serve as a steward for more than 500 items, including a costume, posters and other memorabilia, amassed in a private collection by local philanthropist Mary Strauss.

“The collection will stay right here in St. Louis, where it belongs,” said Peter Kastor, chair of the museum's board of trustees.

Baker was born in St. Louis, but left at age 15. She then became a global phenom for her singing and dancing in the 1930s, especially in France — where she became a citizen, served as a spy for the Resistance during World War II and

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