In the 1940s and 1950s, pin-up girls became very popular among men. In the military, pin-ups were often featured on the side of bomber planes as a means of distraction for soldiers. Enlisted men may have also carried these posters with them during service, to keep an image of a beautiful woman with them. Military officers even used these pictures to act as a map for points of attack, because they knew that the privates would pay attention to lessons involving women.
For men of the 1940s, a pin-up could act as an object of fantasy and/or affection. This feminine image helped men deal with their sexual urges, and gave them motivation for their military activity. They could imagine that after they stopped fighting, they could go home to this idealistic sweetheart and live the American dream.
A variety of women could be the subject of this type of image. Models, artists, and popular actresses were some of the most common images depicted. Betty Grable was one of the first common women featured as one in the early 1940s, and many young military men hung her poster in their lockers.
Though today's posters and magazine spreads have become much more provocative, retro pin-ups still hold a certain allure. They are a reminder of an era past, where both men and women were more innocent. These girls maintained a sense of innocence that many believe today's women have lost. In the 1940s especially, these girls were often portrayed with a patriotic slant, dressed in American colors or posing with flags. Mixing the beautiful woman with the patriotic imagery was appealing in the 1940s, and is still popular today.
Retro pin-ups were also very artistic. Some were not photos at all, but paintings of an idealistically beautiful woman. Thus, as opposed to today's over-exposed famous actress, these older female images could be entirely imagined. That mystery held appeal to men of the times, and still holds appeal for people sexually and as a way to study perceptions of beauty in the past and present.
In fact, pin-ups have become an art form in themselves. Several artists focus on the depiction of women as sexual objects, and in some ways, this type of artwork has become explorations of the female body. Beyond the sexual, these portraits explore the pure aesthetics of woman. While these edgy portrayals are popular, there is still a lot of fondness for the more modest pin-up of the past.
You can buy retro pin-up stickers and decals for your vehicles, and guitar decals in the UK from Rock Artist Studios.
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