Marian and Vivian Brown
American celebrity twins

Marian B. Brown (January 25, 1927 – November 20, 2014) and Vivian A. Brown (January 25, 1927 – January 9, 2013) were American identical twin actresses who also appeared on television talk shows and television commercials. They became celebrity icons in San Francisco, known as the San Francisco Twins, renowned for their appearance in media with signature identically bright snappy outfits and hats atop meticulously coiffed hair. They were voted second as San Francisco's "Best Local Character" in 2000. They often ate dinner at one of the front tables at Uncle Vito's restaurant, just below the crest of Nob Hill, San Francisco.
Biography
Marian B. Brown and twin sister Vivian A. Brown were born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Vivian was the elder by eight minutes. They grew up in Mattawan, Michigan, where they attended Mattawan High School and in 1945 graduated as co-valedictorians, giving the valedictory speech together. They went on to earn matching degrees in business education from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, and then worked as teachers for three years.
At the age of 43, the Browns left Michigan for San Francisco in 1970 with the intent of escaping the hot summers and long, cold winters. After they arrived in San Francisco, Vivian became a legal secretary and Marian worked at a bank.
“Marian and Vivian Brown” enters the record as american celebrity twins. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Marian, Vivian and Brown can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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