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Bomber Girls
As well as pinup photos, the US Army Air Force also unof-
ficially permitted ‘nose art’, drawings of scantily-clad women
on the fuselage of bombers and fighter planes, as a way of
boosting pilot morale. Artists, often servicemen themselves,
drew their inspiration from men’s magazines, popular actress-
es, and real-life models.
Unlike many pinups, bomber girls weren’t just about pictures
of attractive women: the female figures were often regarded as
mascots or lucky talismans that would ensure the plane’s safe
return home. Sociologists have linked airplane nose art to the
carved figureheads once found on the bows of ships, which su-
perstitious sailors regarded as a type of good luck charm. The
art form saw a resurgence in the US military during the first
Gulf War, but was officially banned in 1992 after complaints
from feminist groups.
Bettie Page
Bettie Page rose to pinup fame only during the 1950s, later
than the other models on this list. Although her entire mod-
eling career lasted only seven years, she’s probably the most
enduringly popular and recognizable pinup model today. Her
distinctive bangs (a photographer thought them up to hide her
high forehead) are still copied by young women. According
to her fans, Page’s unique appeal lies in her natural smile and
joyful appearance. Instead of pouting, she made sexiness seem
fun.
After her retirement from modeling, her work lay forgotten for
decades but resurged in the 1980s. Since then, public-domain
images of Page have found their way onto merchandise, com-
ics, and posters. A Seattle homeowner even painted a two-
story version of Page on the side of his house she is cleverly
covered up by the building’s eaves). Shortly after her death in
2008, Reason magazine called her pinup work “one of Ameri-
ca’s most enduring brands.”
Veronica Lake