Where have all the flowers gone? Maybe to Annette’s house. According to our sources (the Pulp Intl. girlfriends), both white and red carnations typically symbolize strong affection toward the recipient, so we’re guessing the star of this 1961 Corp. A. Fox. Technicolor lithograph was well loved. The print is entitled Annette, but even with a first name supplied to us we still have no idea who the Kate Uptonesque model is. However, it isn’t hard to imagine that she was famous in her day, so we throw this one to the readership—anyone out there recognize her? Update: We're nothing if not relentless around here. She's named Annette Casir and she was from, depending on the source, Denmark, Sweden, or Holland. The photo below shows her in a another pose from the same session.
A bouquet so nice it needed to be delivered twice.
Does this model look familiar? She might, if you visit here frequently. She’s the same unidentified star of an undressable Technicolor lithograph we shared around Christmas time. In the above image her pose is almost—but not quite—identical to that in the December image. You can compare them by looking here. The earlier shot was from K.L.M., while the one above was published by J.S.I. Both of them are from the early 1950s. Now look below. Yes, you’re seeing double. Well, almost. The print down there came from Corp. A. Fox in 1956. If you look closely you’ll see that the logo at lower right and title at lower left are different than above. The above shot is titled “Secret,” as in secret admirer, we presume, and the below shot is titled “Remembrance,” as in we hope the florist remembered to remove the thorns. The change of logo and title shows how these images spread from company to company. Possibly each publisher bought the rights for a short time, leaving the owner free to peddle the same shots again later. Alternatively, K.L.M. bought the negs for a long period but was absorbed by A. Fox at some point. We wouldn’t doubt it—there were many publishers of these shots, and it seems unlikely they all thrived. Buying out a failing company and acquiring its images would be good business. It gets complicated, though, because as we now know, some of these pin-ups come from negatives owned by Playboy and were printed with the bunny logo, which suggests licensing deals. We’re still doing research on that aspect of the industry, so maybe we’ll know more later. In meantime, anyone recognize the model?
When the photographer called her a living doll she didn’t suspect he’d turn her into one. This is a really striking Technicolor lithograph. Produced by Corp. A. Fox (or Fox A. Corp, or Copr. Fox A.) in 1955, it could be mistaken at first glance for a painting, but it’s actually a retouched photo—the details in the towel give it away. Even though the image is arresting, we don’t think the photographer/artist quite got the look he/she was seeking. To us, there’s an unpleasant and sinister edge to the scene, mainly due to the model’s expression shading more into horror than mere surprise. Don’t think so? Take a closer look below. Now imagine that face when you turn out the lights to go to sleep tonight. But if you think she looks horrified now, just try to imagine her expression when she saw the final result and realized she’d been turned into a lifeless porcelain figurine.
Which came first—the nightgown or the nudity? Above, two Technicolor lithographs of an unknown model against a blue velvet backdrop. These were published separately, with the bottom shot “Blue Mood” appearing in 1951, and the top shot entitled “Red Hot & Blue” appearing much later in 1966. Strange that the clothed image came later, but in any case they complement each other nicely, with the second featuring an almost “ta-dah!” pose from the model. It’s as if she’s saying, “You wanted the nightie gone—it’s gone.” Chronologically speaking, it would be more accurate to say she started naked and got dressed, but where’s the fun in that? Using old negatives was common practice for the makers of Technicolor lithos—Champion Line, U.I. Co., A. Scheer, J.S.I., Corp. A. Fox (also referred to as A. Fox Corp.), and others. It was Fox that published these, and we’ll have more of their output later. You can see about a dozen more Technicolor lithos by clicking here.
Take... picture quick. Can’t hold this pose… much longer.
Above, a familiar looking but as yet unidentified model posing for one of Corp. A. Fox’s Technicolor pin-ups. This makes the eleventh one of these we’ve shared and you can see the others by clicking its keywords below. Update: It's Madeline Castle, who was a Playboy Playmate of the month back in October 1954 and a popular pin-up model for many more years. The shot above isn't the most flattering of her, so we've uploaded another one below, from Folies de Paris et de Hollywood #288, 1964. Yes, we know the two look like different women entirely, but they aren't, we promise. She just looks better below, and as a bonus she's smiling instead of grimacing. Update on our update: Turns out she was under our noses the entire time. We shared a Man's Life featuring Castle back in January 2013. You know when you have so much stuff you can't keep track of it? Yeah, exactly.
The more you see the more you crave. We have another Technicolor lithograph this fine Sunday and this time it’s Jayne Mansfield. She appeared on at least three of these. Though the photo itself is famous and the bosom-hugging pose is one she used throughout her career, the actual pin-up, which was produced in 1965 by Corp. A. Fox, is rare. See more Technicolor action here.
I hope you aren’t disappointed I’m not a pot of gold. Above, another Technicolor lithograph from Corp. A. Fox. This one dates from 1951 and features an unknown model.
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The headlines that mattered yesteryear.
1933—The Gestapo Is Formed
The Geheime Staatspolizei, aka Gestapo, the official secret police force of Nazi Germany, is established. It begins under the administration of SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police, but by 1939 is administered by the Reichssicherheitshauptamt, or Reich Main Security Office, and is a feared entity in every corner of Germany and beyond. 1937—Guernica Is Bombed
In Spain during the Spanish Civil War, the Basque town of Guernica is bombed by the German Luftwaffe, resulting in widespread destruction and casualties. The Basque government reports 1,654 people killed, while later research suggests far fewer deaths, but regardless, Guernica is viewed as an example of terror bombing and other countries learn that Nazi Germany is committed to that tactic. The bombing also becomes inspiration for Pablo Picasso, resulting in a protest painting that is not only his most famous work, but one the most important pieces of art ever produced. 1939—Batman Debuts
In Detective Comics #27, DC Comics publishes its second major superhero, Batman, who becomes one of the most popular comic book characters of all time, and then a popular camp television series starring Adam West, and lastly a multi-million dollar movie franchise starring Michael Keaton, then George Clooney, and finally Christian Bale. 1953—Crick and Watson Publish DNA Results
British scientists James D Watson and Francis Crick publish an article detailing their discovery of the existence and structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, in Nature magazine. Their findings answer one of the oldest and most fundamental questions of biology, that of how living things reproduce themselves. 1967—First Space Program Casualty Occurs
Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov dies in Soyuz 1 when, during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere after more than ten successful orbits, the capsule's main parachute fails to deploy properly, and the backup chute becomes entangled in the first. The capsule's descent is slowed, but it still hits the ground at about 90 mph, at which point it bursts into flames. Komarov is the first human to die during a space mission.
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