OUGD401 PIN-UP GIRLS - A HISTORY IN IMAGES

Following on from my research into Pin-Up Girl history, I then went onto Pinterest and found so many images of pin-up girls from when pin-up girls where just beginning to be popular until today. This will definitely help me when piecing together a timeline of pin-up girls.

Jules Cheret, 1894.

Camille Clifford, 1906, "Gibson Girl".

The Police Gazette, 1921

Rolf Armstrong cover for College Humour, 1920's.

Alberto Vargas, 1928.

Bradshaw Crandell, 1930's.

Alberto Vargas, 1930.

George Petty, 1933.

George Petty, 1936.

Earl Moran, 1930's.

Enoch Bolles, 1930's.

Betty Grable, 1937.

Joan Crawford by Zoe Mozert, 1938

Carole Lombard, 1938.

Hayden Hauden Cocoa Cola advert, 1939.

The Police Gazette, 1940's cover.

Billy DeVorss, 1940's.

Al Buell, 1941.

Alberto Vargas, 1941.

Rolf Armstrong, 1941.

Sherry Britton, 1944.

Alberto Vargas, 1945.

Zoe Mozert, 1945.

Margie Stewart, 1945

Alberto Vargas, 1946.

Marilyn Monroe, 1940's.

Burlesque dancer, Sherry Britton, 1940's.

Betty Brosmer, 1950's.

Betty Brosmer, 1950's.

Mara Lane, 1954.

George Petty from Esquire, 1955.

Illustration by Ernest Chiriaka for Esquire Calendar 1956.

Marilyn Monroe in Korea, 1954.

Jayne Mansfield, 1957.

Jayne Mansfield, 1958.

Lili St Cyr, 1957.

Lili St. Cyr, 1960.

Betty Brosmer, 1950's.

Alberto Vargas painting, 1968.

Gil Elvgren, 1961.

During the 1960's pin-up girls died out, due to the "free love" becoming a popular phenomenon, and hippies being a thing of the present. Pin-up girls become more naked, so they evolved into Page 3 girls almost, glamour models, prostitutes possibly even. Their innocence was lost and they became a thing for adult men to enjoy.

WAR TIME PIN UP GIRLS (Modern day and of the time)

Shanghai girl, circa 1930's.

Cowgirl pin-up.

Romain Hugault, 2010.

Zoe Mozert.

Corsair bomber.

FrogMiller, Problem Child.

Pin-up war time propaganda.

Claire Sinclair, 2011.

Air Force girl, Alberto Vargas, 1953.

Girls Got Guns - 2013 Hot Shots calendar.

Painting by David Uhl.

German pin-up.

Natalie Dormer.

Marilyn Monroe.

COCA COLA PIN-UP GIRLS

1939, by Elvgren

I don't think this is an official add for Coca Cola, however the aim of this advert was obviously to mimic those by Coca Cola which featured pin-up girls.

Legault, 2010.

1956 Coca-Cola pin-up calendar.

1939 advertisement.

Taken from a 2007 pin-up calendar.

THEMED PIN UP GIRLS

Alberto Vargas, 1945.

WW2 Victory Girl, Earl Moran, circa 1940's.

By George Petty.

By Alistair Fell.

By Gil Elvgren.

By Jay Scott Pike.

By Gil Elvgren.

By Zoe Mozert.

By Gil Elvgren.

This advertisement uses both sex appeal and humour, to make going to the dentist sound more enjoyable.

By Gil Elvgren.

By Gil Elvgren.

THE MODERN DAY VERSION OF THE PIN-UP GIRL

Nowadays, pin-up girls seem to be a thing of the past. There aren't really any traditional pin-up girls around, only our modern day versions. Here I tried to find people, mainly celebrities of some sort, whom I thought looked like the modern day version of the pin-up. The traditional pin-up girl was someone who was admired by a lot of people, men in particular, for their looks especially. These women, because of their connections to men, were often used in advertising such as for Coca Cola, to persuade men to buy their products. Today these women are no longer pin-up girls, but models and celebrities alike. Models are more like the modern day version of the pin-up, only due to the fact that their looks alone are used to sell a product, or to promote something, enticing men to buy these products either for themselves, or their partner, making them a little bit more like the women on the adverts, or thinking they have a better chance of being with her if they buy this product. Celebrities achieve the same thing in advertising, although it isn't only their looks that achieve this, their talents, whatever they may be, also persuade people to buy a product, to be a little bit more like them. 
Here I have looked at some of what I think are the modern day versions on the pin-up girl. Whilst undertaking this research, I found that some women whom I thought would be a perfect example of the modern day pin-up, actually really weren't, and others that I thought would only have a slight hint of pin-up, were actually a really close comparison to the traditional pin-up. This was really interesting to see, as I found that my perceptions were a little off at times.

NATALIE DORMER
I think that Natalie Dormer is a very loose example of a modern day pin-up, as although some of the poses are similar to that of traditional pin-up girls, and she does look glamorous a lot of the time, she looks more like an edgy version, especially with the shaved part of her head. This suggests that pin-up girls are changing and evolving all the time, and that nowadays there is no one make up for a modern day pin-up girl.

Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors.

EMILY BLUNT
Although in all of these photographs Emily Blunt does look just like a pin-up girl, these photographs were all taken as part of a themed photoshoot, where she was dressed to look like a pin-up girl. This means that Emily Blunt has the ability to look like a pin-up girl if made up properly, however on an everyday basis, or even at any time except for this photoshoot, she is just an ordinary woman, and there is not a lot pin-uppy about her.

AMANDA SEYFRIED
Amanda Seyfried is a very glamorous, delicate looking woman the majority of the time, and similar to traditional pin-up girls, also wears red lipstick constantly. A lot of the time her hair is also made up into precise waves, a common feature of the pin-up era for women. I think that Amanda Seyfried makes for an excellent example of a modern day pin-up girl, because she makes herself up in a very similar way to them on a regular basis.

KEIRA KNIGHTLY

I think that Keira Knightly makes an excellent modern day pin-up, as shown in these photographs in several films she has been in, she looks very much so like a pin-up girl. I haven't been able to find many examples of Keira Knightly as a pin-up girl, however the ones I have found are quite strong. This suggests that she can look like a pin-up girl if she is made up to look similar to one, however naturally she isn't.

In Atonement.

In 'The edge of love' 2008.

NATALIE PORTMAN

When I first thought about researching Natalie Portman in pin-up girl style, I thought she would be perfect, mainly due to her role as Padme Amidala, Queen of the Naboo in Star Wars, where she has to wear a lot of make up and fancy clothes. However when I came to research her, there were hardly any photographs to suggest she was in the style of a pin-up girl. These photographs were the closest I could find.

In this photograph I think she would make an excellent Snow White, rather than a pin-up girl.

RACHEL MCADAMS
I found a surprising amount of photographs suggesting that Rachel McAdams could well be a modern day pin-up girl. In a lot of the photographs of her I found she was wearing red lipstick and often had her hair in the same controlled curled style.

In ''The Notebook'.

MADONNA
Similar to a lot of women I have started to research thinking they would definitely have a lot of photographs in the pin-up girl style, then realising that they really weren't a modern day pin-up, Madonna was one of these women.

In 'Shanghai Surprise' 1986.

Madonna in the 90's.

CHRISTINA AGUILERA
Similar to Rachel McAdams, I was amazed at how many photographs there were of Christina Aguilera where she looked exactly like a pin-up girl. This may be because of the kind of music she produces, or because the pin-up girl style is a style she adores.

2006.

In 'Candyman' music video.

ROSE MCGOWAN
Rose McGowan is definitely a stunning beauty, and also applies the pin-up girl style in a lot of these photographs. 

ANGELINA JOLIE
Angelina Jolie is a woman in her own right. She sports the classic red lipstick a lot of the time, and although her hair isn't always in the same style as the traditional pin-up girl, I don't think this matters as the modern day pin-up girl in nothing like the traditional version. She is powerful and glamorous and enticing. To be a pin-up girl nowadays I don't think you have to look the same way a traditional pin-up girl looks, I just think you need that something special about you that makes you that little bit different to everybody else.

HELENA BONHAM CARTER
Helena Bonham Carter is another one of those ladies like Angelina Jolie. She has that aura about her, in the way that she dresses and poses for photographs, and the films she chooses to be a part of, that makes her unusual and interesting. She is still a very glamorous and attractive woman, but in a less generic way.

For Time Out magazine.

KATY PERRY
Even before I started researching Katy Perry I knew she would make an excellent pin-up girl. Her music videos and songs themselves are full of fun and colour and excitement, which is exactly what a pin-up girl is. She does bring an element of glamour into some of these photographs though, which is a contemporary feature of the modern day pin-up girl I am beginning to figure out.

From 'Thinking of you' music video.

Perhaps the modern day pin-up girl dresses in a similar way to the traditional pin-up girl, only in a much more sophisticated, glamours way?

ZOEY DESCHANEL

Zoey Deschanel is definitely keeping the innocence of the traditional pin-up girl alive. She is fun and colourful, yet in an innocent and quirky way.

EMMA STONE

Emma Stone appears very glamorous is a lot of these photographs, however still manages to appear fun and charming, also a little mischievous. I think it is important for pin up girls to have these qualities, whilst also maintaining their innocence as well, although perhaps the modern day pin up doesn't have any innocence.

In Gangster Squad.

In Gangster Squad.

SCARLETT JOHANSON

Scarlett Johanson is a very glamorous style of pin-up girl I feel, as she just seems to have that expensive aura about her. She still sports the red lipstick and curled hair though, so doesn't stray too much from the traditional style. 

LANA DEL REY
Lana Del Rey is a very classic style pin-up, more Spanish looking somehow as well, perhaps because she isn't pasty white as she could be, and as a lot of the traditional pin ups girls look.

JESSICA LABLANCHE
Although Jessica LaBlanche dresses and looks in pretty much the same style as pin-up girls, she is a lot more sexy, provocative and serious than the traditional pin-up girls. Being a pin-up girl is all about being fun and innocent, Jessica LaBlanche lacks these qualities, which I feel may be a representation of what the traditional pin-up girl has evolved into.

LEILA LIPSTIQUE
Leila Lipstique is very similar to Jessica LaBlanche, is that she is a lot more serious and lacks the innocence that pin-up girls so desperately need. Leila Lipstique is also a lot more commercial, posing for advertisements rather than just being natural for them.

DITA VON TEESE
Dita Von Teese is an absolutely beautiful woman who manages to catch the pin-up style perfectly, not just for photoshoots but in her everyday life as well. If anyone was going to be the perfect example of the modern day pin-up girl, it will be Dita Von Teese. However, although she looks and dresses in the same way traditional pin-up girls would, there is still am added element of luxury in her photographs. Pin-up girls were traditionally just ordinary women wearing ordinary clothes, but nowadays it has become a lot more luxurious, underwear is a lot more involved than it once was, and not just stockings either. Although I think that Dita Von Teese manages to replicate the traditional pin-up girl better than anybody else I have found so far, I feel that is all she is doing, replicating. To properly be a pin-up girl, you have to have the whole lifestyle and actually be a beacon of hope for men across the world, and I don't feel as though Dita Von Teese is this, she has brought the look of the pin-up girl back to the modern world, however now there is not much NEED for her, except that she looks lovely in a different way to a lot of attractive women.

I have thoroughly enjoyed doing all of this research into pin-up girls, a little too much fun I think, and doing research by photographs has helped me to have a much better grasp of what a pin-up girl actually is, and how she has changed, as a pin-up girl is a very visual thing, and to describe her changed using words just seems silly and impractical, as to truly know what a pin-up girl is you much see one first.
Here is my Pinterest board where I researched all the different kinds of pin-up girls through the ages and then some. I pinned far too many photographs to put in a blog post.