A pin-up model is a model whose mass-produced pictures and photographs have wide appeal within the popular culture of a society. Pin-up models are usually glamour models, actresses, and fashion models whose pictures are intended for informal, aesthetic display, such as being pinned onto a wall. Beginning in the 1940s, pictures of pin-up girls were also known as cheesecake in the U.S.[1][2]
The term pin-up refers to drawings, paintings, and photographs of semi-nude women. The term pin-up was first attested to in English in 1941.[3] Images of pin-up girls were published in magazines and newspapers, and as postcards, lithographs, and calendars. The counterpart of the pin-up girl is the male pin-up, also known as beefcake, including celebrated actors and athletes such as the actor James Dean, the singer Jim Morrison, and the model Fabio.
History
Pin-up girl nose art on the restored World War II B-25J aircraft Take-off Time
Beginning in the early 19th century, when pin-up modeling had "theatrical origins"; burlesque performers and actresses sometimes used photographic business cards to advertise shows. These promotional and business cards could be found backstage in almost every theater's green room, pinned up or placed in "frames of the looking-glasses, in the joints of the gas-burners, and sometimes lying on top of the sacred cast-case itself."[4] According to historian Maria Elena Buszek, "To understand both the complicated identity and the subversive nature of the 19th-century actress, one must also understand that the era's views on women's potential were inextricably tied to their sexuality, which in turn was tied to their level of visibility in the public sphere: regardless of race, class or background, it was generally assumed that the more public the woman, the more 'public,' or available, her sexuality." Being sexually fantasized, famous actresses in early-20th-century film were both drawn and photographed and put on posters to be sold for personal use.[5] Among the celebrities who were considered sex symbols, one of the most popular early pin-up girls was Betty Grable, whose poster was ubiquitous in the lockers of G.I.s during World War II.
In Europe, prior to the First World War, the likes of "Miss Fernande" (who some identify as Fernande Barrey[6][7]), were arguably the world's first pin-ups in the modern sense. Miss Fernande displayed ample cleavage and full frontal nudity, and her pictures were cherished by soldiers on both sides of the First World War conflict.
Harry Wann paints a "pin-up" girl on a PT boat, Australia, 1944
Other pin-ups were artwork depicting idealized versions of beautiful or attractive women. An early example of the latter type was the Gibson Girl, a representation of the New Woman drawn by Charles Dana Gibson. "Because the New Woman was symbolic of her new ideas about her sex, it was inevitable that she would also come to symbolize new ideas about sexuality."[8] Unlike the photographed actresses and dancers generations earlier, art gave artists the freedom to draw women in many different ways.[9] The 1932 Esquire "men's" magazine featured many drawings and "girlie" cartoons but was most famous for its "Vargas Girls". Prior to World War II, Vargas Girls were praised for their beauty and less focus was on their sexuality. However, during the war, the drawings transformed into women playing dress-up in military drag and drawn in seductive manners, like that of a child playing with a doll.[10] Vargas Girls became so popular that from 1942 to 1946, owing to a high volume of military demand, "9 million copies of the magazine-without adverts and free of charge was sent to American troops stationed overseas and in domestic bases."[11] The Vargas Girls were adapted as nose art on many World War II bomber and fighter aircraft; Generally, they were not seen negatively or as prostitutes, but mostly as inspiring female patriots that were helpful for good luck.[12]
Maria Buszek (author of Pin-up Grrrls) said that the pin-up girl "has presented women with models for expressing and finding pleasure in their sexual subjectivity".[14]
According to Joanne Meyerowitz in "Women, Cheesecake, and Borderline Material," an article in Journal of Women's History, "As sexual images of women multiplied in the popular culture, women participated actively in constructing arguments to endorse as well as protest them."[15]
As early as 1869, women have been supporters and protesters of the pin-up. Female supporters of early pin-up content considered these to be a "positive post-Victorian rejection of bodily shame and a healthy respect for female beauty."[16]
Additionally, pin-up allows for women to change the everyday culture. The models "succeed in the feminist aim of changing the rigid, patriarchal terms."[14]
It has been argued by some critics that in the early 20th century that these drawings of women helped define certain body images—such as being clean, healthy, and wholesome—and were enjoyed by both men and women, and that as time progressed, these images changed from respectable to illicit.[17]
Conversely, female protesters argued that these images were corrupting societal morality and saw these public sexual displays of women as lowering the standards of womanhood, destroying their dignity, reducing them to mere objects to pleasure men and therefore harmful to both women and young adolescents.[16]
Pin-up modeling has been described as a subculture that is invested in promoting positive body images and a love for one's sexuality, "pin-up would also find ways to... encourage the erotic self-awareness and self expression of real women".[14]
Hair and makeup style
1946 photo by Paul Hesse of Joan Crawford adorning the iconic "Hunter's Bow", or over-drawn lip, and her hair pinned up in Victory rolls
The classic style of the pin-up originates back from the 1940s. Due to the shortages of materials during World War II, this period of makeup is considered the "natural beauty" look.[18] The US was immersed in war-time economy, which put distribution restrictions on consumer goods.[19] General rationing was supported; women applied mild amounts of products.
Pin-up style makeup products consisted of:
Foundation – A cream base, liquid foundation that matched their natural skin tone
Compact Powders – used to set the foundation and even the overall complexion
Eyes and brows – neutral contour on brow bone and lid. Eyebrows were shaped but kept full
Eyeliner – the wing effect became popular by the 1950s
Lashes – extended the barriers of the eye to appear slightly larger
Blush – pastel and rose colors applied to the apple of the cheek
Lips – vibrant red and matte color, applied to look plumper.[20]
In the 1950s, the overall look was the red lip was often matched with rosy cheeks. Eyeliner became bold and began to be more commonly used to make the eye appear larger. Natural eyebrows were embraced, as opposed to the thin brows of the 1920s and '30s. In the 1940s, brows were shaped and clean but filled in with a pencil to appear fuller.[21]
Lipstick "turned into a symbol of resilient femininity in the face of danger"[22][unreliable source?] and was seen as a way to boost morale during the war. The shape of the lip was also iconic of the 1940s. The lips were painted on to look plumper; a broad outline of the lip was added for roundness. This fuller look is known as the "Hunter's Bow", invented by Max Factor.[23]
The pin curl is a staple of the pin-up style, as "women utilized pin curls for their main hair curling technique".[24] Originating in the 1920s from the "water-waving technique", the hair style of the 1940s consisted of a fuller, gentle curl. The drying technique consists of curling a damp piece of hair, from the end to the root and pin in place. Once the curl is dry, it is brushed through to create the desired soft curl, with a voluminous silhouette.[24]
Victory rolls are also a distinctive hairstyle of the pin-up. The Victory roll is curled inward and swept off the face and pinned into place on the top of the head. Soft curls, achieved through the pin curl technique, finish the look of pin-up.[25]
As a makeup style, the classic pin-up underwent a revival in modern fashion. The red lip and winged eyeliner made a re-emergence in 2010, with singer Katy Perry being the most accessible example of modern pin-up makeup.
Some people believe there is a lack of representation in the media of Black women as pin-up models, even though they were just as influential to the construction of the style.[26]
Pin-up in the contemporary age
Although pin-up modeling is associated with World War II and the 1950s, it developed into a subculture which can be seen represented in the styles of some celebrities and public figures. Pamela Anderson was considered the "perennial pin-up" due to decades' worth of modeling for Hugh Hefner's Playboy magazine.[27] The American singer Lana Del Rey, whose style is comparable to that of the classic pin-up model, has performed a song called "Pin Up Galore".[28]Beyoncé has recorded a song titled "Why Don't You Love Me,"[29] which pays tribute to the American pin-up queen of the 1950s, Bettie Page. The burlesque performer Dita Von Teese is often referred to as a modern pin-up. Von Tesse has appeared in a biographical film about Bettie Page, Bettie Page Reveals All,[30] in which Von Teese helps to define pin-up. Katy Perry makes use of the ideas associated with pin-up modeling, and has included these in music videos and costumes. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show can be comparable to burlesque show, whereas their yearly advent calendar can compare to pin-up in general.[31]
The pin-up modeling subculture has produced magazines and forums dedicated to its community. Delicious Dolls,[32] a magazine that began in 2011 and has both a print and digital version, was described in 2015 as "the most-liked" pin-up magazine in the world. One of the magazine's mission statements is "to promote and showcase retro and modern pin-up girls." Another well known modern pin-up magazine featuring pin-ups in vintage dress, Retro Lovely,[33] is the modern day pin-up magazine with the most sold digital and print copies. Within this subculture, there are opportunities to perform in pin-up contests, including one which takes place during the Viva Las Vegas rockabilly festival.[34]
African-American pin-up
Josephine Baker in a banana skirt from the Folies Bergère production Un Vent de Folie, 1927
Though Marilyn Monroe and Bettie Page are often cited as the classic pin-up, there were many Black women who were also considered to be impactful. In the 1920s the most notable black burlesque dancer was Josephine Baker. Dorothy Dandridge and Eartha Kitt also added to the pin-up style of their time, using their looks, fame, and personal success. African-American pin-up finally gained a platform when the magazine Jet, which published material related to the African-American community, was created in 1951. Jet supported pin-up with their full-page feature called "Beauty of the Week", where African-American women posed in swimsuits and the like. This was intended to showcase the beauty African-American women possessed in a world where their skin color was under constant scrutiny. It was not until 1965 that Jennifer Jackson became the first African American to be published in Playboy as Playmate of the Month. 1990 marked the first year that Playboy's Playmate of the Year was an African-American woman, Renee Tenison. Historically, Black women in pin-up are still not as common as their white counterparts. However, the recent revival of pin-up style has propelled many Black women today to dabble with and make works based on the classic pin-up look to create their own standards of beauty. In Jim Linderman's self-published book, Secret History of the Black Pin Up,[35] he describes the lives and experiences of African-American pin-up models.
A fetish model is a model who models fetish clothing or accessories that augment their body in a fetish-like manner or in fetishistic situations. Fetish models do not necessarily work exclusively in that form of modeling.
Arthur Ernest Frahm was an American painter and commercial artist, best known for his campy paintings of pin-up girls in the 1950s. Frahm's playful Americana style has been compared with that of Norman Rockwell.
Bettie Mae Page was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her pin-up photos. She was often referred to as the "Queen of Pinups": her long jet-black hair, blue eyes, and trademark bangs have influenced artists for generations. After her death, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner called her "a remarkable lady, an iconic figure in pop culture who influenced sexuality, taste in fashion, someone who had a tremendous impact on our society".
Joaquin Alberto Vargas y Chávez was a Peruvian-American painter of pin-up girls. He is often considered one of the most famous of the pin-up artists, and as one of the pioneers of airbrush art. Numerous Vargas paintings have sold and continue to sell for tens of thousands around the world.
SuicideGirls is an online community-based website that revolves around pin-up photography sets of models known as the Suicide Girls.
Linnea Eleanor "Bunny" Yeager was an American photographer and pin-up model.
Pornographic magazines or erotic magazines, sometimes known as adult magazines or sex magazines, are magazines that contain content of an explicitly sexual nature. Publications of this kind may contain images of attractive naked subjects, as is the case in softcore pornography, and, in the usual case of hardcore pornography, depictions of masturbation, oral, manual, vaginal, or anal sex.
Olivia De Berardinis, known professionally as Olivia, is an American artist who is famous for her paintings of women, often referred to as pinup or cheesecake art. She has been working in this genre since the mid-1970s, and became a contributor to Playboy in 1985 which ultimately led to her own monthly pinup page in the magazine.
Rolf Armstrong was an American commercial artist specializing in glamorous depictions of female subjects. He is best known for his magazine covers and calendar art. In 1960 the New York Times dubbed him the “creator of the calendar girl.” His commercial career extended from 1912 to 1960, the great majority of his original work being done in pastel.
A bouffant is a type of puffy, rounded hairstyle characterized by hair raised high on the head and usually covering the ears or hanging down on the sides.
The fashion of the 2000's is often described as a global mash up, where trends saw the fusion of vintage styles, global and ethnic clothing, as well as the fashions of numerous music-based subcultures. Hip-hop fashion generally was the most popular among young people of all sexes, followed by the retro inspired indie look later in the decade.
Boudoir photography is a photographic style featuring intimate, sensual, romantic, and sometimes erotic images of its subjects in a photographic studio, bedroom or private dressing room environment, primarily intended for the private enjoyment of the subjects and their romantic partners. It is distinct from glamour and art nude photography in that it is usually more suggestive rather than explicit in its approach to nudity and sexuality, features subjects who do not regularly model, and produces images that are not intended to be seen by a wide audience, but rather to remain under the control of the subject.
Timothy White is an American celebrity photographer. He has photographed film actors and music artists, and shot for movie posters, magazine and music album covers. He has directed advertising campaigns and television commercials. He has published books of his photography works.
Zoë Mozert, born Alice Adelaide Moser, was an American illustrator. She was also known as one of the early 20th century's most famous pin-up artists and models.
Margot Blanche Moussempes is a French/Filipino singer and songwriter
Glamour photography is a genre of photography in which the subjects are portrayed in erotic poses ranging from fully clothed to nude. The term may be a euphemism for erotic photography. For glamour models, body shape and size are directly related to success. This type of photography is also known as "cheesecake" or "pin-up" for women and "beefcake" for men.
Bettina May is a Canadian born pin-up model, burlesque dancer and photographer currently living in Brooklyn, New York.
Mosh is a Russian-American alternative model and burlesque performer. Called "one of the world's leading alternative and fetish models" by ModelMayhem.com, she has been on the cover of Bizarre magazine a near-record seven times, as well as LA Weekly, OC Weekly, Girls and Corpses, DDI Mag, and numerous others. She has been featured on Playboy.com and Maxim en Espanol, and also stars in the music video for Pink's "Blow Me ." along with Nick 13's music videos for "Nighttime Sky" and "In the Orchard" from his eponymous album. More recently, she appears in the Smashing Pumpkins video "Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)".
Victory rolls are a women's hairstyle that was popular from 1940 to 1945, with a recent rise during the 21st century, characterized by voluminous curls of hair that are either on top of the head or frame the face. Victory rolls are closely associated with the pin-up look and are achieved using various backcombing, rolling, pinning, and curling techniques.
↑ Carole S. Vance, ed. "Seeking Ecstasy on the Battlefield: Danger and Pleasure in Nineteenth-Century Feminist Sexual Thought," in Pleasure and Danger: Exploring Female Sexuality (Boston: Routledge and K. Paul, 1984)
↑ Costello, John (1985). Virtue Under Fire: How World War II Changed Our social and Sexual Attitudes. Boston: Little Brown. pp.144–155. ISBN0-316-73968-5.
Collins, Max Allan (2000) For the Boys: the racy pin-ups of World War II. Portland, OR: Collectors Press (reissued by MBI Publishing Company, St Paul, MN, 2002) ISBN0-7603-1472-1
External links
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Marilyn Monroe posing for a postcard photograph c. 1940s
Bettie Page, a highly popular 1950s pin-up model
An unidentified pin-up model in front of a 1955 Ford Fairlane
Nancy Porter pin-up from June 1945
Audrey Totter pin-up from August 1945
