She may look like she’s going to kill and eat the next person she sees, but to French readers of the 1930s this was apparently a come hither look. We’ve seen many issues of Seduction on auction sites but haven’t bought any. Not sure if we will at some point, simply because the magazine’s contents are similar to those of others we already own from the time period. However, the covers are a different story—they’re unusual, and consist solely of photos or photo-illustrations of faces by lensmen such as Schostal or Roye, or sometimes drawings by artists like Davanzo. Above is the work of Horace Roye, who was in his late twenties and just establishing himself when he did this cover, but would go on to international fame, sometimes doing considerably edgier work, like his infamous crucified nude wearing a gas mask. This is a beautiful image, even with the model’s psycho smile. Luckily the other covers aren’t quite so weird. Below are eleven your pleasure, 1934 to 1939. And if you want to see another humorously phony smile, look here.
