Student presentation searching ebay to create a museum exhibit.

1. Popularity of Pin Up Girls A brief introduction to pin ups from World War II Liz Miceli

2. Pin Up Girl Sample Calendar This is a page from a sample calendar from 1942. This was done by artist Billy DeVorrs who was well known for using pastels to create colorful pin ups and advertisements. He used pastels because it enabled him to finish his pieces quickly, showing the popularity of pin ups during the time. The pose of the model is a common pin up pose that shows off the models curves in a fun and flirty way.

3. 1945 Pin Up Calendar This calendar has a risqué picture for each month of the year. The women are shown in fun and playful poses with big smiles. The calendar has two pictures of women with some piece of military uniform, showing support for the boys overseas fighting the war. All the pictures were done by Alberto Vargas, more commonly known as Vargawho drew for Esquire. He usually used watercolor and airbrush for his medium. Varga is very well known for proportional women, a very sharp contrast from modern ideals of beauty.

4. 1941 Sample Calendar Though the model is completely clothed, she is in a very alluring and sensual pose. Between being dressed in a sailor’s hat and the small caption “I’ll be seeing you,” she represents the women waiting at home for their men who are soldiers overseas. A pin up like this would have been common in a soldier’s locker or tent as a reminder of a girl back home. Painted by Earl Moran who also painted Betty Gable and Marilyn Monroe.

5. Esquire Date Book with Pin Up Photographs of Twenty-six Hollywood Actresses

6. The Esquire datebook is ring bound with many Hollywood actresses photographed in the same manner and poses as though they were painted by pin up artists. The datebook also has a small drawing of women in dresses with halos over their head with men in uniform waving to them, showing further how women were a morale boost for men and clearly were what men were looking forward to coming back home for. There is also an article titled “Should I Marry the Girl?” containing a helpful quiz to offer advice on the topic. Actress Adele Mara

7. Disney Pin Up This was in insert in Disney Dispatch, which starting in 1943 was sent to Disney employees serving overseas in the war. It contained an assortment of articles and comics and had topics from fighting with laughter to education in entertainment. This perhaps is the most interesting of the pieces since Disney is well known for their children-friendly cartoons but this clearly an adults-only piece meant for soldiers in the war.

8. 100 Recon Squadron Patch This is a hand painted leather patch that, judging from the tiny holes along the edge, was attached to a jacket. There are eyes painted into the 100 that are clearly looking at the chest of the woman in the painting. Patches were used to what unit a soldier belonged to.

9. eBay as a Historical Source Pros cons Can find lots of unique and rare items. New things are always being added. Great starting point. Can find amazing prices. Takes a little getting used to. Searching can sometimes be difficult. Items can move very quickly. Have to be careful about reprints and frauds. Prices are not always fair.