Memorabilia -> Movie Memorabilia -> Posters

Pin up posters might not have the popularity today that they once did, but most people will immediately recognize some of the most popular pin up moments from the heyday of beautiful pin up models. Marilyn Monroe was a pin up queen in her day, and any collection of pin ups should feature her in at least a few pieces. Marilyn was a popular pin up girl in the 1950s, considered a sex symbol and the epitome of beauty and glamor. She was more than just an actress, though, acclaimed for a comic performance in Some Like it Hot and her rare dramatic turn in Bus Stop. She was an idol, an icon, and one of the Hollywood legends created during that period.

A collection of pin up posters represents a phase of US history that relied heavily on entertainment in movies and magazines. World War II made entertainment at home necessary to show the country that no matter what, there were good things to look forward to and keep morale from getting too low. Entertainment also served during this period to make things look as normal as possible at home, and try to give the illusion that though we were at war, everything was all right and would remain all right. It took the emphasis off the fact that people were dying elsewhere.

Pin up posters weren’t all about Marilyn, though, she was merely one of the best-known subjects. Betty Grable was featured on perhaps the most widely recognizable pin up of all time, popular during World War II. Almost everyone who’s been exposed to entertainment media in any form, even today, is probably familiar with the shot of Grable. She’s wearing a bathing suit and standing with her back to the camera, looking over her shoulder. The seductive backward look, the high heels and the hands on her hips were all provocative at the time, and helped cement her as a sex symbol and the woman of many soldiers’ dreams. Grable had what were considered to be perfect legs, insured for $1,000,000 by her movie studio. She was even reported to be Hugh Hefner’s inspiration for his Playboy empire.

Pin up posters didn’t always feature sex symbols like Monroe and Grable in photographs. Artwork was another popular pin up subjects. Alberto Vargas fro Peru created so many pin up of beautiful and voluptuous girls that the term Vargas girl is widely recognized and often is used to refer to a drawn or painted pin up girl.

A great place to find original and reproduction pin up posters is eBay, where you can often find the original magazine covers or intact magazines featuring photography, and even artwork by well known pin up artists like Vargas. Originals are rarely in great condition, but they’re still surprisingly available. Just be sure to clarify whether it’s an original or one of the reproductions that are so popular with fan of the genre who don’t want to spend the time or money necessary to track down an original.

Originally posted 2008-10-31 05:00:06. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Looney Tunes Cartoons Memorabilia -> Entertainment-Memorabilia -> Movie-Memorabilia While many of us recognize Looney Tunes cartoons from their run on television, they actually ran in movie theaters for 39 years, from 1930 to 1969. They were Warner Bros.'s first theatrical animated series. The term Looney Tunes also refers to the animated cast of......
• Beatles Memorabilia Memorabilia -> Music Memorabilia -> Rock, Pop-> The Beatles Out of all of the rock groups that rose to prominence in the 1960’s, none took the world by storm quite like The Beatles and since then, Beatles memorabilia has been a hot commodity. There are fans that have built up......
• Bo Diddley Memorabilia -> Entertainment-Memorabilia -> Music-Memorabilia Bo Diddley is a legend, both for his guitar playing and his role as one of the first influences in modern rock ‘n roll. Born Ellas Othas Bates in Mississippi in 1928, he later became known as the “originator” because he was one of the......
• Andy Warhol Paintings Memorabilia -> Entertainment Memorabilia Andy Warhol paintings today are housed in museums, owned by private collectors and released as prints for public consumption. He was born Andrew Warhola in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1928. Though he died in 1987 from complications after gall bladder surgery, his name is still well known......
• Collecting Unique Vintage Car Memorabilia The possibilities are virtually endless when it comes to the different types of memorabilia that you can collect. One example of a type of memorabilia that you may choose to add to your collection is car memorabilia. There has been a rise in popularity in collecting cars and car memorabilia......

• Soccer Memorabilia Sports Memorabilia -> Autographs Original -> Soccer While the United States may not share the same love for soccer as the rest of the world, it is clear that everywhere else soccer and soccer memorabilia is big business. During the last World Cup a cumulative 4 billion people turned into......
• Vintage Car Collectibles Ever since the beginning of the automotive industry, there have been miniature toy style versions of many popular cars, and these have been popular not only among children but also collectors as well. Vintage car collectibles are toys that make excellent collectibles because they are small and easily capable of......
• Depression Glass Antiques -> Decorative Arts -> Glass The history of Depression Glass is actually quite fascinating and it is a true testimony to its appeal that decades later it is still in high demand. These colorful glass items were made to be cheap, they had to be in order to sell......

• Posters Classical, Opera, Ballet Music Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia
• 1990-99 Press Kits Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia
• 1950-59 United States Lobby Cards Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia
• 1960-69 International Lobby Cards Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia
• Apparel Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia