History of the Covergirl pinup model
By the early 1950s, beauty and publicity had become almost ridiculous, as evidenced by the crowning of Potato Queens (Marilyn Monroe), National Soybean Queen (and Miss Missouri), Sourkraut Queen, Queen Pickle.
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World War I timeline, soldiers photos, heros, and conclusion.
Pictures speak louder than words. In these last pages are images of World War I fighter planes in combat, famous air fighters, pictures of recuperating soldiers, descriptions and photos of hospital train cars, and, finally, a timeline of major events in World War I that happened between 1914 and 1917. These last pages also include a copy of Woodrow Wilson's speech, recommending that America declare war on Germany.
The future of the pinup model
Where was modeling going in the 1950s, and what would future fashion trends hold? The main point of this article seemed to point out the sheer diversity of pinup models and beautiful women. An interesting picture was one of Rita Hayworth without makeup, and then made up. One of her movies, "An Affair in Trinidad", was chosen by the National Photographers Association as "the sexiest and most provocative motion picture still ever made".
Early 1900s St. Louis Photos
These were in a mixed album of early 1900s St. Louis photos that I scanned. One of these shows the civil courts building under construction, with just the steel beams up, which was completed in 1930 (so this picture would have been c. 1929). Another old photo is dated 1910 and appears to be a group photo of men in the Teamsters Union.
Early 1900s Summer Fashion Illustrations
These fashion illustrations show what women wore in 1913, and what was in style. Apparently, embroideries were the rule, and placed where there was the smallest excuse for them. This illustration shows three fashionable early 1900s women and a little girl. On the right side is an advertisement for a Venus adjustable dress form. The text includes detailed descriptions and how to order the dress patterns to make the fashions the models illustrated are wearing.
Bus Routes to the Muny and Guarantors of the 1943 Opera Season
It appears as if bus service to the Muny at Forest Park during World War II was very comprehensive! Bus service extended as far as Gravois and Hampton, Grand and Holly Hills, 3rd and Washington (downtown), Florissant and Kingshighway, and Delmar and DeBalviere... a pretty wide radius! Also in these last few pages of the 1943 St Louis Municipal Opera program, besides ads, was the list of large donors who gave to the Municipal Theatre Associations guarantee fund. It reads like a long list of old St. Louis society's who's-who and includes Adolphus Busch II and his son, August Buch (of the Anheuser-Busch brewery). It's interesting to see who the early supporters of the Muny were!
1880s going away dress outside
Once I had the model in this 1880s bustle dress, I didn't want to let her out! The weather was SO pretty outside that we decided to go take some fashion photos at Carondelet Park. The boathouse at Carondelet Park, although originally built in 1918, and the concrete pergolas (built in the 1930s), made for perfect a perfect set to go with this 150+ year old dress.
Old Book Scans
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The Language of Fashion by Mary Brooks Picken 1938
I am so excited to get The Language of Fashion by Mary Brooks Picken (1938 edition) as an early Christmas present! I am even more thrilled by my friend's thoughtfulness. Even more excited that this book's copyright has apparently expired (according to my search on the U.S. government copyright site).... so I can scan the pages!
Old Photo Scans
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Cabinet Cards of Young Men, Children, and Couples
Here are the rest of the 1800s cabinet cards I digitized for the Carondelet Historical Society. I really like the young lady wearing a hat, as shot by Polensky of Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. That photo, of any, gives me some ideas on historical re-creation. The background is so cool, and could probably be made into a photoshop texture or something!
Old Catalog Scans
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Old Magazine Scans
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Pinup Gals of World War I and World War II: Mary Pickford and Betty Grable
In World War I, Mary Pickford became the favorite pinup of soldiers when she dressed in uniform and toured the nation selling Liberty Bonds. In World War II, "demand for it [pictures of Betty Grable"] ran as high as 20,000 per week...". "Able Grable"'s legs appear in Army topographic maps designed to teach recruits how to hit their mark.
Early 1900s St. Louis Photos
These were in a mixed album of early 1900s St. Louis photos that I scanned. One of these shows the civil courts building under construction, with just the steel beams up, which was completed in 1930 (so this picture would have been c. 1929). Another old photo is dated 1910 and appears to be a group photo of men in the Teamsters Union.
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Pictures from the 1927 St. Louis Tornado
Here is evidence in pictures of the destruction wrought by the huge tornado that devastated parts of downtown St. Louis on September 29, 1927. These pictures of the tornado damage were taken at approximately 1:15pm, and are the property of the Carondelet Historical Society (who kindly let me scan and post them here).
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The future of the pinup model
Where was modeling going in the 1950s, and what would future fashion trends hold? The main point of this article seemed to point out the sheer diversity of pinup models and beautiful women. An interesting picture was one of Rita Hayworth without makeup, and then made up. One of her movies, “An Affair in Trinidad”, was chosen by the National Photographers Association as “the sexiest and most provocative motion picture still ever made”.
Read More
History of the Covergirl pinup model
By the early 1950s, beauty and publicity had become almost ridiculous, as evidenced by the crowning of Potato Queens (Marilyn Monroe), National Soybean Queen (and Miss Missouri), Sourkraut Queen, Queen Pickle.
Read More
History of Beauty Contests and the Ideal Female Measurements of the 1950s
Did you know that the first Miss America was 5 foot 1, weighed 108lbs, had a 30 inch bust, 25 inch waist, 32 inch hips and brown hair with blue eyes? In comparison, Evelyn Ay, the 1954 winner, measured: 5’8, 132lbs, 37-24-36. Here is a chart and a picture to demonstrate the perfect female form of the 1950s, as decided by Vincent Trotta, a Miss Universe judge. He claimed that it was proportion, so a woman could be taller or shorter, just proportional.
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History of Women’s Swimwear and Sports Fashions
This article claims that Annette Kellerman was groundbreaking in making more practical swimwear acceptable… and did you know that shorts for women were invented in the 1930s?
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A brief history of women in sports, part II
The article covers women’s baseball with interesting pictures showing women’s baseball teams from World War I and the 1950s (including pictures of Ruth Engle and Doris Sams), and also pictures of figure skaters and golfers to contrast fashion trends of the first part of the 20th century.
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A brief history of Women in Sports
This first article about the history of women in sports seems to claim that women are 2 inches taller (in 1953) than they were in 1850 because they’re free to exercise and play sports!
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Dancing, Singing, NightClubs, and 1950s Stripper Stars
Wow. What a cool series of pinup and burlesque star history!
I’m not sure if there’s much of a point to the words in these pages, but the pictures show the history of fashion and burlesque with pictures including
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