Random Acts of Living


Friday, November 27, 2009

Petty Pin-up Girls

When I was a teenager my room was in the basement. I liked it down there because it was like being in a cave. The windows were small so they didn't let in a lot of light and the temperature didn't vary greatly. When I left home dad did some remodeling. The basement windows needed work because they leaked sometimes. When they took out the old wood and wallboard he found some papers folded up in a cavity in one of them. They were pictures of pin-up girls. The house was built in 1957 and we moved in around 1963(?). Mom gave me these pictures the other day and I'm posting the more presentable ones here...
They appear to have been in a book that measured 6"x13".
I did some checking online and I've found that they were drawn by George Petty for Esquire in the mid 1950s.
The previous two might have been a little showy, but I hope I didn't offend anyone with them. I find all the girls very pretty.
These last two in the swim suits look no different than you'd see in any pool or on any beach in the world.
The more risque pictures I have posted in an album here. Makes one wonder why the pictures were hid away in the cavity of the basement window. Was it a construction worker placing a time capsule of sorts? Was it a young man not wanting his mother to find his girly pictures? But I think it was in a place that wasn't accessible, so would probably have to have been the construction worker.

7 comments:

Peter said...

They certainly look far better than my ugly mug shot, and, they're in very good nick for their age, unlike me!

Items like these, although not so eye pleasing, were found under my father-in-laws lino when he did his renovations - old newspapers and the like.

Talk about a flash back to the past - thank you so much for posting them.

Take Care,
Peter

Moonshadow said...

Hi, Peter! I thought you might enjoy the pics. One of my favorite pasttimes was reading old newspapers that had been used to line drawer bottoms or to wrap precious stored items in. :)

Girl Tornado said...

But really, they are mild by today's comparisons. They are more artsy than vulgar or risque. I rather like the old vintage feel, and all the Petty girls are quite pretty, of course. :)

Moonshadow said...

I don't disagree that they are mild by today's fashions, but I have young girls that view my blog and I want to at least try to present a degree of modesty. If they aren't presented with guidelines then they don't know when they cross over them. I, personally, find them all artistically pleasing. As it is, I let a couple 'slip' (a little much breast showing) for the presentable page. Petty did a wonderfull job presenting the female form.

Anita said...

They are very pretty...

Doesn't everyone wear ballet slippers to the pool?? smiles...

Moonshadow said...

Yeah, I was noticing the ballet slippers myself. I think it was the only way to justify the pointy toes pose.

wonderingAimLess said...

did you ever find out where they were from?