Pinup girls were some of the biggest cultural icons of the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s.
While it might seem shocking today, posing for a pinup was actually a popular pursuit among young actresses, models, and performers.
Just as lots of formidable young talents posed in the pages of Playboy to boost their careers, time spent posing for pinup illustrations was a surefire way to garner skyrocketing popularity.
In fact, respected actresses like Rita Hayworth and Veronica Lake enjoyed additional success after posing for the risqué illustrations that were published in magazines like Esquire, and one of the most famous pinup images of all time was of Betty Grable.
And while all of these women posed for photos, the majority knew that their image would most likely be adapted into an illustration, a measure that was designed to circumvent obscenity laws of the time.
How do you think these models compared to their pinup counterparts? Let us know in the comments below!
Working as a pinup illustrator became a profession in its own right, with particular artists gaining cult followings for their own style of illustration.
Of these, Gil Elvgren was among the most widely known and admired.
He also distinguished himself with a preference for one model in particular.
Though Elvgren’s studio played host to many of the famous beauties of the day, including Hitchcock heroine Kim Novak, his favorite model was his wife, Janet.
Again, and again, he drew most of his inspiration from his childhood sweetheart, whom he later married after the couple moved to Chicago.
Janet posed for countless photographs for her husband, often wearing a bit more clothing than the future illustration.
And while Elvgren certainly made changes when he adapted the photographs into illustrations, he did an admirable job of making sure that the images stayed true to his wife’s form.
Of course, he often added a background that wasn’t there in the photograph, placing his wife on a beach or sitting on a swing, but he took fewer artistic liberties with her appearance.
He might add more bare skin or a hint of extra cleavage for the sake of the pinup, but he always created illustrations that were faithful to the way his wife looked, moved, and posed.
While we can’t imagine that it was easy to be married to a man who spent his days drawing the most beautiful women in the world, it’s pretty clear that Elvgren thought no woman in the world could hold a candle to Janet!
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