Vintage Pulp

August 28 2024

TRANSPARENTING STYLE

Now you see-through, now you don't.

Above is another mid-century 12” x 16.5 Technicolor lithograph. This one, which is titled “Sheer Beauty,” stars magazine model Jackie Johnsen in a sheer top and rather thick looking opaque bottom, reflecting the elemental and eternal changability of woman and the reality that her mind is never really made up. Well, in our house they’re never made up. We can’t speak for all women. Actually we can’t even speak for ours. Actually, they aren’t ours—they just agree to live with us. Actually, they let us live with them and there’s no suggestion of a power dynamic that favors us. Doh! It’s so hard navigating language in 2024.

Anyway, this litho was made from a photo that originally appeared in 1964 in the men’s magazine Campus Dolls. However, Johnsen seems to have made her way into show business a bit earlier. She appeared in the 1963 nudie cutie flick Intimate Diary of Artists’ Models. Since print modeling nearly always came before movies, the timeline suggests to us that Johnsen modeled at least as early as 1963. There are probably obscure magazine photos of her out there somewhere that haven’t appeared online yet. With luck maybe they’ll will turn up. Below, she’s finally decided on see-through, but changed her mind about the best environment for wearing it.

Intimate Diary of Artists’ Models, Campus Dolls, Technicolor pin-up, Jackie Johnsen

Vintage Pulp

July 29 2024

MANSFIELD OF DREAMS

She's barely holding herself together.

Above: a lovely Technicolor lithograph of Jayne Mansfield. Lithos were often derived from magazine sessions. The original photo appeared in Playboy in 1956, so this item could have been printed that year, the next, or even the next. But figuring a time lag to work out the rights, let’s call it 1957 until someone comes across with better info. See two more Jayne lithos here and here. You’ll notice the poses on those are basically the same as above.

Playboy, Technicolor pin-up, Jayne Mansfield

Vintage Pulp

June 6 2024

VIRGINIA IS FOR LOVERS

But only if they've got what it takes.

It’s time we got back to mid-century glamour model Virginia De Lee, so here she is starring on another high quality Technicolor lithograph. You can click her keywords below to see the others. This one is titled “Lola,” and has no specific publication date that we can find, but call it 1957 or a little later.

Virginia De Lee, Technicolor pin-up

Vintage Pulp

May 10 2024

THE BARN IDENTITY

I'll do it with you, but don't tell my pa. He thinks I only fool around with my cousins.

Don’t take offense country-dwellers. We’re just running with the time-honored myth established by mid-century authors that rural people hop into the hay with any ole body as easily as they hop over split-rail fences. Don’t believe us? Look here, here, and here. Need more? Look here and here too. See? We don’t make the rules. We just abuse them. Anyway, this Technicolor lithograph features an unidentified model and is called, “The Farmer’s Daughter.” It dates from 1954.

Technicolor pin-up

Vintage Pulp

March 18 2024

TOTALLY TUBULAR

I've been anticipating these outings a lot more since I heard there's a fish called a slippery dick.

No, we didn’t make it up, you non-fishers out there. There’s a slippery dick. It’s native to western Atlantic waters, for example the Carolina coast. This Technicolor lithograph, titled “Swimmin’ Hole,” is native to the mid-1950s. The model here enjoying the use of an innertube is unknown to us, as they often are.

Technicolor pin-up, nudity

Vintage Pulp

February 27 2024

ZINSATIONAL

A new twist on a classic art form.

The two items above serve as interesting examples of how long Technicolor lithographs were manufactured in the U.S. We’ve seen and shared examples from as far back as 1952, but the two above feature Pamela Zinszer, who modeled and acted during the early 1970s and was a Playboy centerfold in March 1974. We’ve gotten used to calling these Technicolor lithos because of the printing process, but we can’t be sure ones as late as these used that method. We’ll stick with the terminology, though. See plenty more Technicolor lithos by clicking the keywords just below.

Technicolor pin-up, Playboy, Pamela Zinszer, nudity

Vintage Pulp

February 5 2024

CUSTOM DROP TOP

There's no freer feeling than fresh air on your... um, than fresh air.

Today we have one of our favorite items from the mid-century era—a Technicolor lithograph with an acetate overlay. We’ve shared a number of these. The star here is Bonnie Logan, model and stage performer. She was of a more provocative variety than usual for her time, which you can get a sense of here and particularly here. This piece is probably from around 1960. As for our other examples, you wanna see them all? Okay, if you check this link, then this one, and follow the subsequent links from there, you’ll be able to—we think—look at every one we’ve posted.

Technicolor pin-up, Bonnie Logan, Bonnevier Bakken, burlesque, nudity

Vintage Pulp

June 21 2023

ON AGAIN OFF AGAIN

When the mood strikes she wastes no time.

Amazingly, it’s been four years since we shared a Technicolor lithograph with a cellophane overlay. It isn’t because we don’t have any. It’s because we have scans of the overlays, but not the underlays. Is that a word? Anyway, for that reason, and because we can’t identify the models, we’ve neglected this rare mid-century art form. But today we have one for you. A lovely but unidentified model poses for a shot titled, “Pensive Mood.” When you lift the cellophane, her underwear is peeled away and she’s revealed in all her glory, as you see. The date on this is no later than 1966, which we know because we found the image as a calendar shot from that year. For a look at our other overlay lithos click this link, and follow the links in that post.

Technicolor pin-up, nudity

Vintage Pulp

March 27 2023

GRAND TORINO

Cruising in luxury with the top down.

These Technicolor lithograph models are difficult to identify, but for today’s, which is titled “At Ease” and dates from 1959, the work has been done for us. A couple of online outlets confidently state that she’s Joan Torino. Now, as far as which Joan Torino—that’s a little trickier. We found reference to one who was a burlesque dancer at Red Heads Burlesque Theater in Hoboken, a club that first opened during the 1930s and lasted at least until the 1960s. Same time period, same name—gotta be the same Joan, right? That’s what we’re going with until corrected. Oh, and incidentally, yes, we know the car was called a Gran Torino. Gran or Grand—they both fit Joan.

Hoboken, Technicolor pin-up, Joan Torino, burlesque

Vintage Pulp

February 2 2023

DOUBLE SOLITAIRE

They won't be playing by themselves for long.

Above are two 1950s-era Technicolor lithographs featuring a pair of models with playing cards. Only the second is playing solitaire. The first seems to be spokesmodeling: “Call now and you can win a deck of enormous cards!” The first litho is called, “Ace of Hearts,” and the second, which has been retouched to the extent that it has the look of a painting, is titled, “No Cheating.” We don’t know who the women are. That’s true of about half the lithos we share. Occasionally, though, someone emails us with an identification, so feel free. We’re always around.

Technicolor pin-up, nudity

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HISTORY REWIND

The headlines that mattered yesteryear.

September 10

1935—Huey Long Assassinated

Governor of Louisiana Huey Long, one of the few truly leftist politicians in American history, is shot by Carl Austin Weiss in Baton Rouge. Long dies after two days in the hospital.

September 9

1956—Elvis Shakes Up Ed Sullivan

Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time, performing his hit song “Don’t Be Cruel.” Ironically, a car accident prevented Sullivan from being present that night, and the show was guest-hosted by British actor Charles Laughton.

September 8

1966—Star Trek Airs for First Time

Star Trek, an American television series set in the twenty-third century and promoting socialist utopian ideals, premieres on NBC. The series is cancelled after three seasons without much fanfare, but in syndication becomes one of the most beloved television shows of all time.

September 8

1974—Ford Pardons Nixon

U.S. President Gerald Ford pardons former President Richard Nixon for any crimes Nixon may have committed while in office, which coincidentally happen to include all those associated with the Watergate scandal.

September 7

1978—Giorgi Markov Assassinated

Bulgarian dissident Giorgi Markov is assassinated in a scene right out of a spy novel. As he’s waiting at a bus stop near Waterloo Bridge in London, he’s jabbed in the calf with an umbrella. The man holding the umbrella apologizes and walks away, but he is in reality a Bulgarian hired killer who has just injected a ricin pellet into Markov, who develops a high fever and dies three days later.