Why do you think the scantly clad pin up girls have disappeared? Maybe it is that no one really needs a calendar these days or maybe such lack of clothes is seen everyday in public these days, so no biggie. Of course there is always the boast by the feminist movement that claims their presence educated women about being objectified. Some blame magazines like Sports Illustrated for continually pushing the boundaries. I think it was once an art with both the photographer and model and now that art is dead. Many times it was also just an artist doing a painting. I think technology has killed all that creative. Remember the Coppertone billboards that were hand painted? Anyway, I wonder if any of you guys have any of the old "modest" pin up girl calendars of the 1950s and 60s or even 70s? If so maybe share a photo of the calendar from your personal collection. Look at this scandalous hussy showing her midriff and a bit of cleavage just to advertise a radio. Remember the old NAPA Auto Parts Calendars
The picture for my avatar was actually from a calendar originally, from the earlier parts of the 1900’s. While not what we think of as a pin-up girl, it was probably considered close to that , back in those days. It was taken from a painting and not a photograph, however, and was part of a series of Minnehaha/Hiawatha paintings from that era. When I was growing up, and my folks had the little neighborhood grocery, my mom ordered calendars a few years, to hand out to our customers. Our calendars were not pin ups, but they were the ones with pretty girls and horses , which were also popular back in the 1950’s.
I do. I guess it belonged to my dad. It’s in nice condition. I’ll have to get it out and take some pics of it. I’ve often wondered if there is any value attached to such things. I’ll post some things later.
I have had this picture since my early teens, and I think that I originally found it in some thrift shop. The calendar part was gone and just the Indian Maiden picture was in the frame. Over the years, i eventually lost my original picture, although I carried it with me wherever we moved (and that was a lot !) for many years. Then I found a copy online and have it on my photo stream now. There was a whole series of these pictures which are meant to depict the lonely Minnehaha waiting for her Hiawatha to return, and they are from around the 1920’s.
Yes, girls and horses were popular on calendars back in the early days. Feed stores, grocery stores, and equipment places handed out such. Advertisers found out that putting attractive women on their calendars or ads, really helped sales. It also helped promote things like helping veterans. I wish I had had the opportunity to pose for a military veterans calendar or pin up. I would have considered that an honor.
My beloved grandpa wasn't a drinker but he did like to have lunch at a local tavern when he was working in the area. He would pick up a couple of matchbooks that were offered for free and that had semi-naked ladies on the covers. My very proper grandma would take one look and rip off the covers and throw them away. I think he brought them home just to get a rise out of her. He had a couple of pin-ups in the garage. She'd take them down and throw them in the trash. He'd take them back out and hang them up again. It was obviously just a game between them because if she really wanted to get rid of them, she wouldn't have just thrown them in the trashcan. His pin-ups were pretty tame; I can't picture him every having anything obscene hanging up. He was a church deacon, after all.
I look at pretty girls/women as works of art I guess, whether on a poster or in real life. Something to be admired in a similar way to the Greeks and their statues of men. Romans seem to have broadened their admiration to include women. We used to have a Grain Belt beer poster in our office that was put up by my wife. It has been recently been replaced by garden photos.
I subscribed to Playboy magazine for a while, but even they are no more. I'm thinking the internet and the ready access of porn was where the ogling eyes gravitated to. I sure do miss those Playboy articles though.
Before my local hardware store closed they offered 2 kinds of calendars every year; 1 with the swimsuit girls and 1 with jazzed up sports cars. Of course, I chose the calendar with all the fancy headlights and nice bumpers.
That was the year they came out with the Va-Va-Va-VOOM!!! There is nothing sexier than a one-piece swimsuit and heels. (j/k)