Pin-up calendars were almost everywhere after World War II, including gas
stations, shoe stores, bus and train stations, newstands, and employee lunch rooms.
Bigger companies commissioned their own calendars, while small shops used generic but
customizable calendars produced by Brown & Bigelow.
Pin-up artists of the day included several women, and Pearl Frush, Zoe
Mozert, and Joyce Ballantine were among the best. The work of these female
artists was indistinguishable from that of their male counterparts, except that
they tended to avoid the silly poses sometimes used by the men.
Pin-up art was often used to spice up decks of playing cards, and, long before
Playboy, Esquire magazine invented an annual desk calendar, recapping pin-up art from
their monthly issues.
Pin-up art evolved into pin-up photography. Any magazine with pictures of
lovely Bettie Page is worth picking up. This politically incorrect ad for Fiat
cars ran in Look magazine in the early 60's. And, representing the next generation
of pin-up art, old Playboy magazines are plentiful at most flea markets.
Pin-up art is a subset of Girlie Collectibles, which encompasses matchbook
covers, pin-up decals, naughty ashtrays, risque bookends, souvenir postcards, and many
other cheezy odds and ends. Enjoy!
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