Vintage Pin-Up Posters

September 17th, 2009 | Memorabilia, Movie Memorabilia, Vintage Pin-Up Posters

BIKINI SEXY BLOND Harlem NYC Vintage PIN UP Poster 1940

US $159.00

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FRAMED JOYCE BALLANTYNE 7 VINTAGE PIN UP GIRL POSTER

US $149.00

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Memorabilia -> Movie Memorabilia -> Posters

Vintage pin-up posters represent a popular movie and magazine phase of US history. The ultimate pin-up girl was Marilyn Monroe, without whom no collection of vintage pin-ups would be complete. She was the pin-up queen of the 1950s, a sex symbol, and was considered one of the most beautiful and glamorous women of the time. Her comic performances were praised, and her dramatic turn in Bus Stop earned her critical acclaim. Marilyn won a Golden Globe for her performance in Some Like it Hot. But more than a model an actress, she was an icon of the time, and one of the most photographed women ever.

While Marilyn is probably the best known pin-up girl, a number of other models were among the most popular gracing posters and magazine covers. Betty Grable vintage pin-up posters represent the most popular pin-up of the World War II era. Even if you don’t know who she is, you’ve probably seen her famous bathing-suit pin-up where she’s standing with her back to the camera in high heels and a swimsuit, hands on hips, and looking over her shoulder to smile. Grable’s legs were considered the ideal proportion at the time, and were even insured by the movie studio for $1,000,000. Hugh Hefner cites Grable as his inspiration for starting the Playboy empire.

Celebrities who were thought of as sex symbols at the time like Monroe and Grable were often photographed for pin-ups, but artwork is another popular category of vintage pin-up posters. These were usually idealized images of feminine beauty. Many highly collectible pin-ups aren’t photographs at all, but artwork but some of the most well-known artists of the time. Original vintage prints are available in online auctions, and they’re surprisingly affordable, making them great for collectors of all means and budgets.

One of the most well-known pin-up artists is Alberto Vargas from Peru, who was probably the most prolific glamor artist of them all. He started out as an illustrator for Butterick Patterns and the Adelson Hat Company. In 1919, he was discovered by the Ziegfeld Follies while painting a store window. That lead to work painting in the Amsterdam theater and introduced him to the Follies’ stars, all of whom he painted over the next 12 years. Later he worked for Paramount, Warner Bros and MGM. His first calendar of American girls was put out by Esquire under the name Varga in 1940, at Esquire’s insistence, but after they split in 1946 he resorted to using his full name. He put out his own calendar, took lots of commercial work, and did over 150 paintings for Playboy, including two covers.

Many vintage pin-up posters are referred to as “Vargas” or “Vargas girls” when in fact they were created by other artists of the era. When purchasing any pin-up, be sure the description makes it clear that it’s an original vintage item and not a reproduction.

Originally posted 2008-10-11 14:00:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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