Category Archives: Pin-up girls

Searching for the “Secret” Third Petty Model 1945-49

Click on the link above for the PDF file.

Excerpt
The American pin-up girl evolved as a concept from many different sources, posters, post cards, calendars, cigarette cards and mostly magazines. They were all tied to themes, stories, and commercial products, using female anatomy and sex in advertising and selling its social content. The Golden age of the American pin-up era has been defined by art dealer and American illustration pin-up collector Charles G. Martignette as the years 1920 to 1970. This American process of shedding and painting the female anatomy was very gradual, beginning with the Gibson Girl whose body showed High Class Fashion, Integrity, refinement, and Love. From 1925 to 1933, the American emergence of naked breasts and female buttocks in paintings began the slow process of undressing the All-American pin-up girl. Today we can read and study online the pin-up magazines of the past American Golden Age and just the American titles alone record the promotion of the sex life in Paris, France. The American male seemed to regard French women as much more sexually exotic and more sophisticated than their own American gals. Some of this attraction came from American troops in WWI who had experienced the night-life in Paris, and the affection shown by French ladies. American publications were now given French names such as French Frills, French Follies, Les Dames, Paris by Night, Paris Life, Paris Nights, and Gay Parisienne. These magazines contained many drawings of nude ladies in sub-title headings, replacing the Gibson girl era which ended in 1910.

Text version with all images

Searching for the “Secret” Third Petty Model 1945-49

The American pin-up girl evolved as a concept from many different sources, posters, post cards, calendars, cigarette cards and mostly magazines. They were all tied to themes, stories, and commercial products, using female anatomy and sex in advertising and selling its social content. The Golden age of the American pin-up era has been defined by art dealer and American illustration pin-up collector Charles G. Martignette as the years 1920 to 1970. This American process of shedding and painting the female anatomy was very gradual, beginning with the Gibson Girl whose body showed High Class Fashion, Integrity, refinement, and Love. From 1925 to 1933, the American emergence of naked breasts and female buttocks in paintings began the slow process of undressing the All-American pin-up girl. Today we can read and study online the pin-up magazines of the past American Golden Age and just the American titles alone record the promotion of the sex life in Paris, France. The American male seemed to regard French women as much more sexually exotic and more sophisticated than their own American gals. Some of this attraction came from American troops in WWI who had experienced the night-life in Paris, and the affection shown by French ladies. American publications were now given French names such as French Frills, French Follies, Les Dames, Paris by Night, Paris Life, Paris Nights, and Gay Parisienne. These magazines contained many drawings of nude ladies in sub-title headings, replacing the Gibson girl era which ended in 1910.

In 1910, French nude postcards sold 123 million pictures, ten years later, American publishers made more money on French style pin-ups than French publishers did in France.

American published French Follies 1931 [Free domain]

1920-1933 America is taking the lead in publishing girlie magazines with France the closest competitor. Hundreds of unknown American artists [illustrators] painted the girls and used themes as nudism, sports up-skirt, physical fitness, the wind, and party games to expose stockings, girdles, black hose, legs, panties and full frontal nudity. [free domain]

Thousands of American illustrators took an assignment, put his or her work on paper, were paid, and then forgotten, their name was even omitted in the published magazine and many were lost forever. [free domain]

Another unknown American artist 1933. The artist illustrator and his girl art became the single most exploited guise for painting female full nudes provided the vulva was never showing. [free domain]

Sometimes an unknown artist submitted art work and his name was published like this December 1933 issue of Follies [Vol. 10, #1] magazine. The signature reads – ALBERT VARGAS 1927, who went on to become world famous girl illustration fame in Esquire, True, and Playboy magazines. The King of aircraft nose art paintings in three wars, WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam. [free domain]

Until the invention of the camera in early 1900s, world artists illustrated still life, portraits, and yes even full nudes, preserving the earliest form of human life. Like it or not, the most popular subject for artists were the topless or fully nude female form. The introduction of the camera and photographs were slowly taking over from the artist in illustrating nudes by 1910, but this did not create much concern. In reality, the photos of their nude models became the new normal and freed the artist from hours of posing and live model painting in his studio. When you study the portrait style of famous girl illustrators such as Earl Moran, or Gil Elvgren, [who photographed his own girls] you will find most used models and sets, combined with 8” x 10” photos which captured the natural face expressions they sought in their work. This created a huge new industry for the photographers of pin-up images, both for magazines and the artist illustrator. The female nude photo was now appearing more and more in pin-up magazines.

The photographer was paid to produce images for the art illustrator and retained his copyright, reselling his photos to publishers. Original 1926 “Spice of Life” magazine photo. A few pin-up photo models went on to become favorite girl illustrator models, appearing in color cover art on hundreds of magazines. [free domain]

The American pin-up illustrator artist model was created. Follies magazine Fall 1924, featuring Marion Orr who became a true nude model for artists. [free domain]

The cover of Spicy magazine for September 1933. The American color pin-up girl had appeared on magazine covers since 1920, then in December 1939, the first pin-up two-page “gatefold” Petty Girl began appearing inside Esquire magazine.

Today, [2021] the free-world recognizes everyone, male, female, and gay couples, deal with erotic fantasies everyday. Erotic fantasies are derived mostly by the social experiences in

childhood, religion, family, and many other thoughts and feelings experienced during our lifetime. Today we are exposed to more erotic fantasies and sexual seduction from the internet, Facebook, and Wi-Fi, than any other past generation could ever imagine. In fact, it has gone way beyond control for all age groups, and makes billions of dollars world-wide.

I have used American drawings and photos from 1923-1933, to demonstrate the average thoughts and feelings of the main-stream American public in that time period. Just as there were millions of degrees of sexual fantasy and escape, there were just as many public responses to the developing pin-up images in American magazines. The most common American problem, [which was hidden but fully understood] became the simple fact male masturbation used the pin-up girl as their fantasy stimulation. This upset millions of below average looking females who could never come close to the male fantasy pin-up girls. The original American Gibson Girl image had universal appeal to rich and poor, young and old, educated and uneducated, male and female, but she was distinctly “high class.” The Gibson Girl was not based on a real person, she was born on the sketch pad of Charles Dana Gibson and became an American way of female life. The Gibson era ended in 1910, and there was no new American girl to replace her until after World War One came to an end. The new 1920 pin-up girl was at once attacked by feminist groups who saw pretty girls being used as sex objects and part of a men’s “dirty barroom” domain, and it worked. Sociological studies revealed a greater sex-associated male guilt feeling among the American male lower class than the middle or higher social class males. They also found in studies that this guilt feeling easily dissipates when a group of male’s [Military or University] share a wall covered with pin-ups, much like the nude nose art that later appeared on aircraft in WWII. This study also found the quality of the pin-up girl usually reflects the social taste of the reader, which might explain what took place next in the United States. The first sexy almost nude airbrushed Petty Girl cartoon appeared in the Autumn issue of Esquire magazine in 1933. This slowly set a new trend in establishing the new American pin-up girl as an “upper-class” good taste sophisticated lady, to all classes of Americans. [Just like the Gibson Girl] The pin-ups by George Petty and later [1942] by Alberto Vargas offered high-class painted nudes to a generation of Americans and Canadians alike, and it was OK to look at them or even pin [pin-ups] on their family bedroom wall.

Reid Stewart Austin fell in love with the art work of Alberta Vargas in his teens, and later as photo director of Playboy magazine, brought Alberto Vargas and Hugh Hefner together. Reid left Playboy to become the personal art director of Mr. Vargas for seventeen years. In 1978, Reid published “Vargas” the story of Arequipa, Peru, born Alberta Vargas. The book “Petty” followed in 1997, and it received top reviews. Both books describe and display the Petty and Vargas girls that changed the attitude of pin-up girls in North America forever.

Both books also contain a chapter which details the airbrush technique used by each artist. Vargas used a large number of live posed models during his long career, while the Petty Girl was a close guarded family project. In the 1997 book PETTY, [In George Petty’s Studio: A Memoir] daughter Marjorie explains the full role she played in posing and creating the new

Petty Girls. At no time did Marjorie mentioned the use of any model photographs of herself or any other models in creating the Petty Girl. That all changed on 10 February 1998, when a letter was received by Charles G. Martignette in Florida.

Charles Martignette was an art dealer and collector of American illustrator artists. His gallery in Hallandale Beach, Florida, housed the world’s largest collection of commercial illustrated art, including original paintings by George Petty and Vargas.

This letter from photographer Robert B. Kohl opened up a new can of worms in regards to the George Petty Girls creation and paintings from 1945 to 56. [Peter Perrault collection]

George Hukar [1895-1975] Internet.

George Hukar was an illustrator and photographer from California. He attended the Taliesin Fellowship Studio in Spring Green, Wisconsin, [Google and read, most interesting] and became a gifted commercial photographer of nude women. George worked for a number of major photo studios in New York and Chicago, but he had a serious drinking problem and moved around a lot. He created a number of commercial illustrations for jewellery, Nutone, Ovaltine, and Simoniz car wax. In 1936 – 37 he completed six fully nude ads for Simoniz car wax which were published in the photo news magazine LIFE. In 1945, George was elected a delegate to the General Assembly of the Photographic Society of America, Chicago Chapter and that’s where he met fellow photographer Robert B. Kohl from Chicago. In 1946, these two photographers formed a studio in the American Furniture Mart Building on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, name Photo-color Studios, Inc. This is the location where secret nude photos of an unknown Petty Girl model were taken in late 1946 and possibly until 1949. It’s believed Hukar took earlier nude photos at another location for artist George Petty, but never confirmed. Robert Kohl stated this in his 10 February 1998 letter, page one, last paragraph.

George Hukar May and June 1937 Simoniz nude ads in Life magazine. [author LIFE collection]

This same George Hukar unknown nude model also appeared in many pin-up pulp magazines 1930s. [author magazine collection]

Popular Photography magazine September 1949, photographer Robert B. Kohl and his first model [Helen Horne] who became Mrs. L. Kohl.

Robert Kohl did women’s fashions, hair styles, and commercial nudes using eighteen-year-old model Mitzi Proulx from Minneapolis.

The Robert B. Kohl 1998 letter to collector Martignette in regards to a secret long-time model used by George Petty for posed photos taken by George Hukar.

This photo is one of 45 purchased by Charles Martignette in 1998 and intended for publication by Reid Stewart Austin and Peter Perrault. With the death of Reid Austin [2006] and collector Martignette [2008] the photos were never published and now Peter Perrault [owner] has allowed the author to use a few in this Blog story. The date is likely 1946, George Hukar is on the left holding the unknown model shoe, and the lady on the right is the one and only “Petty Girl” Marjorie Petty. These secret posed photos will be used by George Petty in his TRUE magazine paintings and calendar for 1945 and 1948. The model name is still unknown, outside of the Petty Estate.

Copy of 10 February 1998 letter from Robert and Helen Kohl

Charles G. Martignette

P. O. Box 293

Hallandale, Florida 33009

Dear Sir:

I have some photographs that may be of interest to you and to collectors of George Petty memorabilia.

As the popular story goes, Petty used his daughter Marjorie [age five] then her mother, and Marjorie again [1929] when she reached her ‘teens. Popular, and often so-published, but not accurate.

I have in my possession 45 black-and-white 5×7’s and 8×10’s of the real nude model, and a number of tear sheets from ESQUIRE and TRUE magazines, showing the relationship of the artist/copy photos and finished/published artwork.

The story is this: George Hukar, a gifted commercial photographer had worked for major studios in New York and Chicago, and he had a drinking problem, later resolved by joining Al-Anon. [Al-Anon alcohol-rehab formed in 1951] He formed a partnership with me in Chicago in 1946 as Photo-color Studios, Inc. In general, I did women’s fashion, furs, and hair-style, and some very discreet nudes for commercial advertising. George did the commercial illustration, jewellery, NuTone, Simoniz, Ovaltine, etc.

Our first studio was in the American Furniture Mart building on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. Later, we moved to a new studio in the Cossard Building at Rush and Ohio in Chicago. The partnership was dissolved in 1949, George moved to the role of instructor at the Art Center in California and my wife and I moved to Bemidji, Minnesota, for the next 32 years where we owned and operated a large resort.

During the studio years I had occasion to visit with Petty and on at least one occasion with his daughter Marjorie, while shooting his long-time model. I assisted in the making of some of the photographs. One of the shots shows partner Hukar holding the elevated foot of the model, with Marjorie holding the typical contorted hand of the model favored by Petty.

Actually, Hukar had photographed the same model for years for Petty. Petty would call George and the model, who originally lived in Chicago, and arrived for studio time at off-hours to avoid any uninvited interruption or publicity. It became more difficult for Petty to make arrangements when the model moved to Indianapolis.

I also believe that the model became less enchanted with the anonymous glamor of being a Petty model, with the train trips to Chicago, and the minimum fee and expense paid by Petty. Further, the model married in Indianapolis and may have run into some marital objections.

On a number of occasions, we made test shots of other nude models but none had the anatomical features of his favorite model.

A sitting would usually last for up to four hours with dozens of slight variations of one or two primary poses directed by Petty. We would make 8 x 10 proofs from each sitting and these would be numbered and sent to Petty’s north Chicago home.

Within a few days Petty would telephone and request several poses by number to be enlarged to exactly so many inches from top of model’s head to tip of toe: 18 5/8 inches, for example.

Two facts should be noted: First, to the best of my knowledge, Marjorie Petty never posed for any artist copy pix by George Hukar [or me], nor had her mother ever been photographed by Hukar for that purpose.

Second, Petty did not paint from life, and this was his most jealously guarded secret. Petty airbrushed apparently did his artwork on a trace [transparent] overlay, also working with gouache [body water color] and some brush.

A comparison of artists copy photos in my possession with the finished artwork for an Ice Capades poster reveals an exactness of detail of muscular structure, highlights and shadows, pose and props. The only embellishment was facial—the finished art work was not the face of the model, and the costume which was usually transparent and followed the model’s anatomical detail exactly.

Reid Austin was overwhelmed by the collection but they were too late for publication in his 1997 PETTY book. I was pleased to receive an autographed copy of the beautiful book from Reid.

In telephone conversations with Reid he recalled seeing some photo paste-ups on Petty’s work table, using legs, from one shot, torso from another, and so on, but he did not make any connection at the time with the nude model source.

Signed – Sincerely, Robert B. Kohl.

A small selection of the secret Petty model 5” x 7” test photos showing different hand poses, two wearing shoes, taken in studio by Robert B. Kohl and George Hukar 1946-49. Petty picked out what he wanted and scale measured enlarged body part photos were ordered by number. [Peter Perrault collection]

[Peter Perrault collection] George Petty created his 1947 True Girls like a mad surgeon using different posed body part photos of his secret model.

This rare Petty photograph was owned by Ted Kimer, St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1990. Ted painted a series of pin-up girls called “Teddy’s Girls” which can be found and purchased online. Peter Perrault captured this Petty image that was hanging in the art studio of Ted Kimer, which had little meaning at that date. The body of this Petty girl came from his secret model photos, and now George Petty is replacing her face with the face of Marjorie Petty. These images have been photographed to correct size as directed by Petty, in the studio of Robert B. Kohl and George Huker. They are then sent to the north Chicago home of George Petty where they are arranged as his next Petty girl painting. As stated in the Robert Kohl letter [10 February 1998] Petty did not paint the 1945-47 TRUE girls with Marjorie posing live, as the general public were led to believe. He painted from hundreds of photos posed by his “secret” unknown model, and these were arranged in different forms of arms, legs, and shoes. The Marjorie face was then cut out and placed on the body of the unknown model, and a new Petty Girl was painted, appearing in True December 1948. I believe the left face was in fact the unknown model first painting. For obvious reasons, this was a jealously guarded secret between artist and photographer, until exposed in the letter from Robert Kohl, along with his 45 original nude images. I’m positive the Petty Estate continue to hide the name of this secret model who was in fact the “true” body of perhaps all thirty-five TRUE Petty girls, plus the 1955-56 Esquire calendars.

This TRUE magazine December 1945 gatefold enlarged face became the finished Petty girl with her new Marjorie face and secret model body. [author collection]

This TRUE magazine gatefold also appeared in the December 1948 Petty TRUE calendar, and tens of thousands of Petty match covers.

Petty Girl match covers, first five printed by Mercury Match Co. in 1946, the same time George Petty was creating his TRUE magazine series of thirty-five girls. This is possibly where Petty began to mix body part photos and resell as different Petty girls. [author collection]

In 1938, Superior Match Company was founded by Harold Meitus, headquarters on Greenwood, Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. They introduced the now famous Elvgren Girls first five match cover set in the same year, followed by fourteen other sets, totalling seventy-five girls. Several other match companies [Monarch, National Press, Mercury, and Regal] soon jumped on the money wagon and began producing pin-up girl covers. In 1945, Mercury Match Co. secured a contract with George Petty and his first set of five girls appeared as match covers, seen above. These five girls were all originally painted for Esquire magazine and appeared in 1939-41 issues, but Petty retained his copyright, and two girls [Gold Ball Curves and Yes, I’m Home] were then altered from his original art. This was done using the same unknown model and photos taken at the Kohl-Hukar studio in Chicago. Many glamour girl artists appeared on match covers, including Alberto Vargas, however it was the Petty girl which caused eyeballs to roll when lighting up a cigarette. Once again the well formed body and tiny waist sent a message to the healthy male hormones, and the Petty Girl became the high-point of match cover pin-ups. These same Petty Girls soon appeared on all other company match covers with the most appearing on Superior Match Company covers beginning in 1948, with nine sets of five girls per set. These Petty match covers were printed in the tens of thousands, mixed in sets, and continued to appear until 1956, when real women, showing real female flesh, began appearing on match covers. Today match covers are still being collected by a new generation.

[author collection]

George Petty took his original March 1941 Esquire girl and gave her a new hair style with flower, adding a key-hole background and the match cover “Yes, I’m Home’ first sold for Mercury match covers.

This is the original [under protective cover] George Petty altered hair style with flower which became the image used in tens of thousands of match covers 1946 to 56. This is property of the Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, copied by Peter Perrault. Somehow this original Petty [match cover] art ended up in the Esquire collection which was donated to the Spencer Museum. This demonstraes the talent of Petty to change a painting, reselling time and time again, using scale photo images as a model.

This origianl June 1941 Petty Esquire girl became a Superior match cover titled “Golf Ball Curves” appearing from 1948 to 1956. She first appeared on Mercury match cover in 1946.

This original match cover art also survives in the Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, donated as part of the Esquire collection. Petty cut off the original arm, repainted a new arm with golf club and this was printed on tens of thousands of match covers. Some of his original masking tape remains on the painting, and the golf club remains unpainted over the left shoe. I believe this new arm came from photos of his secret nude model. [Peter Perrault image]

[Internet free domain]

These Petty girls were used by all companies as sales promotion which were printed ‘Made in U.S.A.’ Today these match cover sales books are collector’s items, and somehow the two original altered paintings survive in the Spencer Museum of Art. It is still a mystery how these two original girls were found in the Esquire archives, when George Petty closely guarded all his original paintings. The above page is from a National Press Match Company sales book dated 1950, the Petty girls are still selling. By 1960 the match cover paintings had been replaced by real photos of real models, and by 1970, the golden age of the American girl illustrator had come to an end. The gatefold nude models appearing in Playboy magazine had taken over the world by 1955, and Hugh M. Hefner became the father of photo posed Nudes and American Pin-up Bunnies.

Without the complete set of secret posed photos, [hundreds photographed] it is impossible to match every single TRUE magazine or calendar Petty girl to an image. At the same time, the few nude photo posed images which survive preserved a very clear record of how George Petty was using his posed nude images to create the TRUE magazine Petty girls of 1945-47. This Petty girl painted bust can be clearly seen in the posed photos of unknown model.

His new Petty girls created from secret model photos for TRUE magazine were also sold to the major match cover companies again and again. Everyone believed they were Marjorie Petty, but it was possibly only her Petty face, and that can now be questioned. [Peter Perrault collection]

The TRUE February 1947 Petty Girl, body from unknown model and face of Marjorie. [author collection]

Unknown model in 1945-46 posing for February 1947 TRUE girl. Photo by George Hukar, one of hundreds taken. [Free domain Internet]

Not the same photo, check shadow on left shoe, and space between leg and chair top, meaning many images of the same pose were taken. [Free domain internet]

[Free domain internet] Photo George Hukar 1946.

Final pose with face of Marjorie Petty, body from unknown nude model?

Columbia Pictures movie “The Petty Girl” premiered in New York on 17 August 1950, and Joan Caulfield posted live for the movie poster, no photographs used. [Author collection]

[Peter Perrault collection]

Picture magazine, 1 October 1950, featuring a story on artist George Petty [56 years] with his first model, wife Jule [right] and daughter Marjorie, now his favorite model. “George Petty joined his public in believing that the voluptuous, long-legged girls he draws – are like nothing human.” He did, that is, until he saw [and measured] actress Joan Caulfield, who plays the lead in the Columbia film, “The Petty Girl.” Then he had to eat his words, because Joan fulfills to a remarkable degree the ‘biologically improbable” Petty Girl measurements. [5’ 5”, weight 110 pounds, burst 35 ½, hips 35 ½, with honey-blonde hair] Joan did a number of Petty Girl photos but of course never nude.

Unknown to his public, George Petty had his own favorite model with all the anatomical features he wanted, and Marjorie had not posed nude for her father in at least the past six years. Robert B. Kohl wrote – “On a number of occasions, we made test shots of other nude models but none had the anatomical features of his favorite model.” I believe this third “unknown” model had measurements very close to those of Joan Caulfield, which Petty liked and used for his paintings. The complete set of nude photos would make for interesting research.

The three-year TRUE series begins in January 1945 and ends with the December 1947 issue. A total of thirty-five girls are painted and I believe all were created from the nude photos of the unknown model. Marjorie Petty acts as the supervisor in the taking of nude photos by Robert B. Kohl and Georeg Hukar in their Chicago studio. It is possible some used the model face.

Marjorie Petty, the real Petty Girl not only knows what is taking place, plus the name of the secret model, she even appears in a few images, believed to be taken in 1946, at first Chicago studio, Lake Shore Drive. It would appear Marjorie no longer wanted to pose nude for her father, as she was dating her future husband, who I’m sure objected to this family nudity relationship. Marjorie marries in 1948, and moves to southern California, her modeling days are over. The studio partnership of Robert Kohl and George Hukar is dissolved in late 1949, and they move to different parts of the U.S. George Petty retains his huge collection of nude photos from his unknown model and continues painting from these images.

The largest reproduction of a Petty Girl appeared in TRUE magazine December 1946. The caption read – “Don’t Tell Me That’s a Hobby Too.” Today I know my copy is not the body of Marjorie Petty, and even her face is now suspect. [author collection]

In 1952, the first of two calendars are issued by the Ridge Tool Company, a second follows in 1953. These girl images were painted with enlarged images of industrial machines and tools, exposing a strange mix of oversize clothing, large heads, and face expressions never seen before in the artist’s work. In 1954, two consecutive Petty calendars are issued by Esquire magazine, and these will be reproduced in 1955 and 1956 calendars. Hundreds of these images can be found for sale on the internet and the author believes they were all created using the collection of nude photos from the unknown model.

Three Petty Girl gatefolds will also appear in the April, August, and November 1955 issues of Esquire magazine.

Esquire April 1955 gatefold.

The author obtained his first 1955 Petty Girl in 1988, [above] and at once realized these girls were a different style than his earlier work. This remained a mystery until 2021 when Peter Perrault sent me the Robert B. Kohl letter from 10 February 1998, and some of his unknown nude model photos. I believe these paintings were all created from nude photos and even the new face was created by George Petty in his studio. George Petty retired in 1956 and his little “secret” nude model was forgotten.

Face created by George Petty from model photos.

Top Esquire August 1955, Mexican was November 1955. [Peter Perrault collection]

This secret history needs much more research to preserve the Petty past, and one large question remains – “Who was this forgotten American third nude Petty Girl?” I call her “George’s Prostitute” he used her body, paid her little, and never wanted her to be seen in public. Please, it’s time to give her a place in Petty Girl history.

Charles G. Martignette and Louis K. Meisel were partners and the real experts on the Petty history. It’s possible Louis Meisel knows the name of the unknown nude model and has more posed photos. Both are authors of many fine books on artists and photorealism, including the 2011 book titled “The Great American Pin-Up.”

Petty Girl Aviation Nose Art

Research by Clarence Simonsen

Click on the link below for the PDF file.

Petty Girl Aviation Nose Art

Text version without images

Petty Girl Aviation Nose Art

Although the earliest ink drawings and color paintings of the pin-up girl evolved from the printed underground newspaper and magazine illustrations in Europe, the name “pin-up” became an American concept and product of the 1870s. Historians seem to all agree, this was the period of rapid changing morality in United States of America. From 1880 until 1930 the exploitation of the female figure steadily increased and echoed what was being seen and happening on the stage in the United States. These unidentified and little-known young show girls, dancers, and hopeful actresses became the very first true pin-up girls, who were also used as sex objects to sell a product. The idea of using female sex appeal to attract people to various ideas and products has been around since the beginning of mankind, and like it or not, still makes billions of dollars worldwide today.

This most famous woodcut poster was created in 1491 by Belgian publisher Jean d’Arras’s “histoire de la Belle Melusine” and has been reproduced thousands of times. It is the first known illustration poster to use sex appeal in advertising and selling a product, a book. The word “Melusine” is French for a female spirit of a sacred spring or fresh water, and she is shown topless with a serpent or twin fish tails from the waist down. Most times she is shown with twin tails, sometimes wings, or both. Melusine’s bosom is exposed and she is bathing, which for the very first time also shows sexual eroticism in the gesture of her hands. [That’s what the experts say, and I fully agree]

The woodcut text below the poster reads – “A beautiful, pleasing, and most marvelous story of a lady named Melusine, of her ancestors and descendants, and the wonderful and devout works and deeds they wrought and performed.” By the end of the 16^th century thousands of wood engraving illustrations were appearing in printed books and many showed a sexy female embroiled in sensual escapades. These nude females were used to enhance products or sell story books but never inviting the viewer to join with her in any sensual sexual pleasures, and it was never porn, just fine art.

On 31 March 1971, three students opened a coffee house in Seattle, Washington, USA, and they created a logo of a topless, twin tailed “Melusine.” As the company [brew] grew, they had to change their logo of the topless female spirit of sacred fresh water coffee, as she might offend the customs and religions in many countries they were now expanding their business. Today the third redesigned Starbucks logo appears in six continents and 75 countries. So, when you have your next coffee at Starbucks, look at the little Melusine who is 528 years old, the oldest known female pin-up in the world, still being used to sell a major coffee product.

I have been studying the subject of aircraft ‘nose art’ for the past 55 years, and for many of my early years of research I could never understand why the pin-up girl was created in the United States and not in France or Britain. The British culture was older, stronger, and much more established than the United States of America, plus the Americans roots came from the British, so they should share the same set of moral values, but that was not true. Why then did the United States become the leader in publishing pin-up girls in books, calendars, and pulp magazines? In the 17^th century, the British had a flourishing underground publishing movement which printed playing cards, books, and magazines on pornographic themes, which was circulated around the country and even into France. The semi-literate lower working class British and French males got their popular stimulation from the underground publishing and the upper-class Englishman could privately purchase his more expensive illicit pornography and keep it a family secret. The British upper-crust official publishing world was stable, very conservative, and made its profit from just reporting the news or specialized world events. Everyone was happy and there was no need for any newspaper publication to fill the gap between pornography and the Victorian novels. Many cheap, poor quality, publications were attempted featuring tales of violence, crime and mystery, and they were called “Penny Dreadful”, however none contained anything related to sex and nothing at all featuring pin-up girls. That would all change in 1903, when a British publishing pioneer, Alfred Harmsworth began publishing beauty contests and the bathing beauties in his newspaper “The Mirror.”

This was the same year that French semi-nude postcards were first issued in the United Kingdom, combined with the fact that British publishing was far behind that of the Americans in printing pin-up girls. In 1889, a young Harmsworth began watching the American popular press and the fast developing publishing industry in the United States. He stated that the British newspapers and periodicals were for “high-brow classes” and that American newspapers and magazines were far ahead of anything being published in Britain or Europe in regards to pin-up girls. It is most important to understand that today most historians too often draw a parallel between 19^th century America and Great Britain in respect to social, moral, and sexual exploration. Both countries had a class of domestic women serving their husband, cooking, sewing, washing, and bearing his children, combined with a lower-class of ladies who provided sexual exploration in dancing, burlesque troupes, and prostitution, many times preformed for the husband of the higher-class lady. For two-hundred years’ British society had a source of pornography which showed up in various forms and female nudity was just a small part of British way of life. In the United States of America, there was little pornography and what was being published was under-the-counter ‘dirty books’, hidden from wife and children’s eyes. The American publishing industry in the 19^th century was in a very rapid growth, and this included the huge untapped market of the American” Pin-up” girls. The American popular press had twelve well-established “Spicy” publications by 1895, featuring drawings of semi-nude chorus girls, cartoons, actresses in bathing suits and topless girls in a ‘nude-in-graphic-art theme. The growth of the American ‘girlie’ magazines continued until the mid-1930s, which became the heyday for American pin-up girls. This is a huge subject and I do not have the space or time to fully explain to the new reader, but the facts can be found on many websites. The main points to understand were American publishers took the sophisticated British/French style nude girl and gave their American nude a unique twist, which produced the fun-loving, girl next-door “Pin-Up” who was unconsciously pleasing to the American family eyes. The talented American artist took a racy subject and created the pin-up girl, but I feel more importantly created the active, athletic, ‘girl-next-door’ image combined with good old fashioned American virtues. It worked, and the talented girlie illustrator artist in American simply took a sexy subject and lifted it too a new level which was more attuned to the working class.

In the United States [and Canada] the pin-up critics, museum curators, and art school administrators drew a line between the new pin-up illustrator and the so called fine-artist of the twentieth century. While both artists were rigorously trained in the same American schools, the pin-up illustrator was rejected from showing his or her work in galleries, museums or history books, for the simple reason they painted sexy nude females. The magic talent of airbrush illustrator George Petty, created the “Petty Girl” which became an American icon from 1933 until 1956, and slowly changed the American public pin-up girl image forever.

In 1933, during the great depression, the rich American high society men’s clothing trade originally inspired the publication of a fifty-cent magazine named Esquire. The publisher’s decided to take a bold gamble and carry a number of pin-up girlie style cartoons in a magazine intended for the fashionable, elite, rich, male in North America. George Petty was paid twenty-five dollars for his first color cartoon in the first issue of Esquire and the rest became female pin-up history. The new Petty Girl appeared in a sophisticated, high society cartoon, where the level of humor was always upper class. Her alluring figure was always shown in semi-nude themes with marital infidelity, money, promiscuity, and sexual flirtation involving a much older, fat, American elite gentleman. Today these elite males would be called a “Sugar Daddy” and each cartoon was accompanied with a humorous caption. To enjoy the full history of George Petty just purchase the magnificent family approved first-ever biography of the artist, then set back and enjoy his priceless images, the fuzzy images on the internet hide the full talent of the most famous illustrative girl artist in America.

Reid Stewart Austin began his sixteen year “Petty” book research in 1980, and two years later the author [Simonsen] received a letter from Mr. Austin. Reid was looking for WWII aircraft aviation nose art images which originated from the Petty Girls, and we would remain in contact until 2003.

Artist George Petty began his pin-up girl with an outline in red watercolor and then he built up the skin tone in reds, yellows, and blues with airbrush layers. He would leave some part of his painting unfinished, a shoe, hat, and most times the telephone, which became his one-of-a-kind style and signature. Reid Austin borrowed this style as his letterhead and most of his hand written letters and cards were in red ink another Petty trademark.

My Deluxe Edition of “Petty” with Gatefold [1^st April 1941 painting] Petty Girl arrived in September 1997, signed by Reid [below] in red ink.

Twenty-four-year-old George Brown Petty IV was married to pretty, modest, Irish-Catholic, twenty-two-year-old Julia Donohue on 6 April 1918. Julia or “Jule” became his first model, who posed for a number of pastel portraits first used in two 1925 Girlie Calendars. They never made much money, besides George was more interested in painting British style male’s ads. In late 1925, George signed a contract for a new American scientific birth control jell [Alpha Laboratory, Chicago] and strong Catholic raised Jule posted fully nude for his painting.

This part in the Reid Stewart “Petty” book history was omitted, possibly due to the fact American Policeman Timothy Donohue had strongly objected to the marriage of his daughter Julie to a non-Catholic George Petty in the first place. Now, this nude painting of his daughter advertising American birth control was being seen and read in tens of thousands of American magazines, pamphlets, and even match covers across the United States. George possibly made $400 for the painting which sells for $3,000 today [2021]. [Free domain]

Beginning in August 1933, the American [and Canadian] male saw something new, sexy, and irresistible in the Esquire Petty cartoons. The new Petty Girl Pin-Up was being born and the rich, fat, American guy was no longer required in the cartoon. [Author collection]

April 1935 Esquire cartoon. [Author collection]

In 1935, the Petty girl began appearing alone as a single female cartoon and the pin-up image was being created by public male demand. George Petty also had some hidden trade marks, he never painted a lady smoking, and even refused to feature a gal smoking in his Old Gold cigarette ads. Many Petty girls were painted appearing nude, but they were navelless and nipples never appeared other than the February and April 1935 cartoons. Above is the April 1935 cartoon which broke his rules, and in fact showed much more of daughter Marjorie, who was now sixteen years of age. She posed nude for her father beginning in 1929 at age ten years, and continued until she married in 1948. George was the master of the airbrush in creating life-like skin tones, which became the only reason for the full nudity posing, nothing else. He was also a great American businessman and knew how to retain his copyright and thus was able to sell the same Petty girl image over and over again, making a huge profit on his same girl art illustration. By 1938, a single Petty Girl painting was being sold by George for $1,500 to $2,000 each, [one-time usage] while other pin-up artists received $135 to $200 per girl image. Today it’s worth from $100 to $120,000.

When you turned the front page of Esquire in 1938, the inside cover contained a full color page ad for Old Gold with the Petty Girl, plus the Petty cartoon girl page. Some issues had three Petty girls as more of his advertising appeared in North America’s top selling Men’s magazine.

Inside cover page for September 1938, which was an ad, but also became a Men’s pin-up girl. [Reid Stewart Austin collection gifted to author]

World War Two – 1939

By 1939, Esquire stood alone as a top selling men’s magazine and the Petty Girl pin-up also stood by herself for a vast following of male readers in United States and Canada. The Petty Girl was seen all over the place and George was pulling in $1,500 to $2,000 for each painting, one-time-usage, from many clients. On 26 June 1939, the Petty Girl story appeared in LIFE magazine with family photos, and three Petty Girl paintings.

Julia [Jule] Donohue Petty, the original Petty Girl and George from the pages of LIFE magazine. In November 1939, tension between George and his publisher Dave Smart erupted over money and a gatefold painting. This marked the beginning of the end for the Esquire Petty Girl, while the world prepared for war with a man called Hitler. The United States of America remained neutral but not the Petty Girl.

At midnight on 16 December 1939, a group of men gathered in the office of Canadian P.M. Mackenzie King for the signing of a document titled “Agreement Relating to the Training of Pilots and Aircrews in Canada.” The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan [BCATP] was now official, a huge scheme that produced more than 130,000 trained aircrew members for the Allies during World War Two. This training took place in Canada, and the controlling authority was the RCAF, but the aircrew members came from all parts of the world, and unknown to even George Petty, his pin-up girl was going to war flying beside them.

The de Havilland 82C Tiger-Moth British trainer aircraft was built in Canada and a total of 1,384 were delivered to the RCAF, plus another 136 manufactured with the American built Monasco engine. In 1940, 1941, and 1942, this aircraft was the most used elementary Canadian trainer and most pilots took their first flights in the Tiger Moth. [Free domain image of Tiger-Moth]

The front engine cowling of the Tiger-Moth provided a large backdrop much like a school blackboard, containing aircraft identification letters and numbers, but rarely pin-up nose art. No. 2 E.F.T.S. at Fort William, Ontario, [Thunder Bay today] had on strength thirty-one Tiger-Moth trainers 30 June 1941. T-Moth 118827, RCAF serial 5028 arrived on 19 June 1941, and Cpl. Lloyd Carbert snapped this photo of her rare March 1941 Petty Girl replica nose art painting.

A large percenage of Canadian RCAF aircrew and 6,129 Americans who joined the RCAF in 1940 and 1941, had been raised with the Petty Girl gatefold from the pages of Esquire, and this is just a small example of the wartime inspired aircraft nose art. “Daddy’s Choice” flew and trained Allied pilots until 16 June 1945, when she was struck off strength by the RCAF and sold by War Assetts.

The original March 1941 Esquire Petty Girl “Key-hole” painting, with flower in brown short hair. This was changed to a long-hair red-head with no flower for the Esquire March 1941 gatefold issue. [image from Reid Stewart Austin American Heritage Collection ]

She also became “Miss Canada” painted on the nose of a Handley Page Halifax bomber in No. 432 [Leaside] Squadron of the RCAF, East Moor, Yorkshire, England, 1944.

No. 427 [Lion] Squadron RCAF were based at Leeming, Yorkshire, England, on 5 May 1943. They were adopted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios on that date and Halifax B. Mk. V serial DK186 was painted with a large Lion, part of the official ceremony. From that date on each bomber in the squadron was named and painted for an actress under contract by MGM Studios in Hollywood. The June 1941 Petty Girl became “Joan Crawford” painted on Halifax Mk. V, serial LK644, code ZL-C, as nose art in August 1943. The bombs were painted in a “V for Victory.” The Halifax aircraft was shot down sixteen miles S/W of Giessen, Germany, 20 December 1943, her fifteenth operation, all seven aircrew of F/O John Melrose Grieve were killed in action.

Replica RCAF Halifax nose art by author painted on original WWII bomber aircraft skin.

Close-up image of 21-year-old Marjorie in June 1941 painting for Esquire gatefold. [courtesy of Peter Perrault collection]

In 1941, four life-size paintings of 1938 Petty Esquire girls appeared on the R.A.F. Officer’s Mess at Cairo, Egypt. The artist was most likely British and possibly took his pilot training in Canada, where he discovered the talent of George Petty. The unknown RAF artist wall art on left and the October 1938 Petty Girl on right. The power of the Petty Girl image was following the airmen at war to far points of the globe, and being painted on hundreds of Allied aircraft.

1941 became the year of change in many different ways. The last twelve paintings would appear in Esquire magazine as publisher Smart would dump George Petty for a new artist named Vargas. It had taken George forty-five years to achieve fame with his Petty Girl and now it would all be handed over to Alberto Vargas, the new pin-up artist of Esquire magazine.

Every Men’s magazine in the United States had a pin-up gal and many publishers did everything they possibly could to find an artist who would copy the style of George Petty. One New York publishing company went to the trouble of copying not only the Petty Girl but the complete Esquire magazine from cover to cover.

The first issue of SWANK Vol. 1, #1, hit the newstands in August 1941, from Elite Publishers Inc., New York, N.Y. The magazine type set, cartoons, stories, Men’s fashion ads, and yes even the Pin-up Girl were a copy of the Petty Girl from Esquire magazine.

The SWANK pin-up artist named Wesley Margot painted three girls for the first issue, the third [above] appeared on the last cover page as an advesrtisment for a new American Cola drink. He also copied the trademark of George Petty, unpainted areas with red ink outline. Have you ever had a Rum and Kooba, well don’t feel bad, nobody has.

This new American Cola was the brain dream of a man called Victor Fox, who owned Fox Comics. He would produce a soft drink with Vitamin B1, good for kids, and advertise in his comic books. He also understood the adult selling power George Petty had created with his Petty Girl and placed ads in the first issue of SWANK Men’s Magazine. Only four bottles of Kooba were manufactured and filled with Pepsi-cola, used for magazine advertising. The soft drink never went into production, so if you have a bottle of Kooba, it’s a rare gem for bottle collections. SWANK was only published in five issues, then went on to become a top selling pornographic magazine in the United States, today owned by Magna Publishing Group.

The last Petty Girl gatefold [above] appeared in Esquire magazine during the first week of December 1941, but Americans didn’t care, they had much more on their minds.

The conflict looming in Europe throughout the 1930s was a world problem, however Americans were against intervention and remained determinedly an isolationist nation. “America First” don’t waste lives and resources in Europe. On 7 December 1941, the American mind-state of World War denial was suddenly and deliberately crushed by the Empire of Japan.

The Petty Girl nose art was first involved in WWII with Canadians, painted for the past twenty-four months, and now the United States had declared war on Japan, 8 December 1941. These first young Americans going to war were still reading the comic pages, but they also had Petty Girls hanging on their bedroom walls. There was no more editorial outlet for the Petty Girl as Esquire magazine now held total control and the new Vargas Pin-Up girl was taking over as America geared up for a long war against the Japanese Empire and the Nazi Fortress in Europe. The twelve 1941 Esquire gatefold Petty Girls were soon appearing as American aircraft nose art in many parts of the world and a few became very famous in aviation history. The December 1941, [last] gatefold, appeared on a good number of B-24 and B-17 Heavy Bombers, plus dozens of A-2 leather jacket art of the 8^th Air Force in England by the fall of 1942. The Petty Girl was a veteran nose art/pin-up lady and quickly led the American fighting man into battle.

The most famous American nose art “Petty Girl” appeared on a B-17F Flying Fortress [91^st Bomb Group] named Memphis Belle, which completed the first twenty-five missions in the 8^th Air Force, England, 7 November 1942 until 17 May 1943. It was later learned another B-17 [303^rd B.G.] had completed her 25th mission a week before the Belle, however during time of war records are sometimes misplaced, and Belle justly received her WWII home-coming honor.

George Petty painted at least Fifteen girls with no face showing, August 1935, March and October 1936, October 1937, January, February, and July 1938, October 1939, and April 1941. This Esquire Petty Girl [April 1941] with no face showing, became the most famous 8^th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress nose art to fly from England, and for that reason survives today. [courtesy Reid Stewart Austin collection] [Inset – Author Invitation card to 17 May 1987 Memphis Belle dedication]

Newspaper clipping from Tony, July 1980, showing 1944 nose art mural at Bassingbourn, England, 324^th Briefing room. Art painted by assistant Charles Frank Busa Sr.

The artistic talent of Tony Starcer was discovered by accident, he had no formal art training, just some high school classes. In late November 1942, Tony was assigned to spray paint medium green blotching camouflage, and fuselage yellow code letters on the B-17s in the 322^nd and 401^st Bomb Squadrons. This graduated to painting the names of loved ones on the various positions in the B-17, and next came nose art painting. Tony saw first-hand the attachment between airmen and their fighting aircraft, which spurred him on, plus it gave him good spending money. The third B-17 he painted became “Memphis Belle” featuring the April 1941 Petty Girl from Esquire magazine. When the 1943, William Wyler color film “Memphis Belle” was completed, 8^th A.F. aviation bombing history was made, with a Petty Girl.

The author corresponded with WWII nose artist Tony Starcer from 1980 until his death from Leukemia in 1986. This photo has been sold on the internet thousands of times, however my image came from Tony, who painted the original Petty Girl and knew all the original aircrew.

Pilot Robert K. Morgan points to 25 missions as the original Memphis Belle [Margaret Polk] admires, Memphis, Tennessee, airport, June 1943. The red star above bomb indicates she flew as lead B-17 in the 91^st B.G., red was when she flew lead B-17 in the Bomb Wing. In the next forty years the original markings were painted over with many layers of paint, with incorrect Petty Girl nose art. USAAF from Tony Starcer.

During 1985 restoration, the original Starcer WWII port and starboard side nose art were exposed for a few brief minutes, then removed forever. Director Dr. Harry Friedman was kind enough to capture these two last original Memphis Belle nose art images for the author.

Dr. Harry Friedman, 1985.

Tony Starcer art work 1984. [courtesy Reid Stewart Austin collection]

When the original WWII color 16 mm film of the Memphis Belle by William Wyler was released, Tony Starcer instantly became famous for the painting of the Petty Girl. Tony painted over one-hundred replica nose art panels on original B-17 skin to raise funds for the restoration of his Memphis Belle and then in May 1982, he became seriously ill.

Tony Starcer was preparing to repaint his original [Petty Girl] Memphis Belle, when he was suddenly hospitalized with Leukemia in May 1986. He was undergoing massive blood transfusions and medication when he suffered a major stroke which paralyzed his right side. He passed away at 5:10 am, 9 June 1986, at Kaiser Hospital in Los Angeles, [Hollywood] California.

The Memphis Belle replica nose art [April 1941 Petty Girl] was repainted by the nephew of Tony, Phil Starcer [above] and the dedication ceremony was held at Mud Island, Memphis, Tennessee, Sunday, 17 May 1987. The full and modern history [16 May 2018] of the B-17 “Memphis Belle” can be read online at many sites with excellent video. This original 1987 nose art painting by Phil Starcer remains preserved on the Memphis Belle today at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

The September 1941 Petty Girl shed all her clothing and took flight on a swing, to the delight of millions of males. The swinging nude also appeared in a number of Esquire [mail order] issues wearing a very short concealing chemise, which still remains a printing mystery. [courtesy Reid Stewart Austin collection, Petty Estate copyright – bottom Peter Perrault collection]

The sudden Petty Girl effect on American aircraft nose art is no mystery, she was a winner, with a naughty play on words. [courtesy Vern Currie B-24 collection, Florida, 1988]

“Cielito Lindo” [Heavenly One] the most famous and popular Mexican song known around the world. Flew with the Fifteenth Air Force, 98^th Bomb Group, Benina, Libya, November 1942, serial 42-41033. [Steve Birdsall collection via Jeffrey Ethell 1990]

George Peach, B-24D-120-CO, serial 42-40985, flew with 93^rd Bomb Group, 331^th B. Squadron. [Vern Currie B-24 collection, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 1988]

Replica painted by author for Reid Stewart Austin, 11 November 1997, today it hangs in Spruce Goose Café, Port Townsend Airport, Washington, USA. [photo Peter Perrault]

Old Blister Butt, B-24D-95-CO, letter “H” serial 42-40778, was painted by nose artist S/Sgt. Chas Doyle of the 389^th Bomb Group. Inspired by the same Petty Girl on a swing, she flew the famous Ploesti Raid on 1 August 1943, and survived. The Vulgar Virgin [Petty Girl] never came home.

Esquire gatefold, November 1941, holding the “Book of Petty Phone Numbers” promotion booklet which contained thirteen previously published Petty girls. [author collection]

This original Petty face first appeared in Esquire January 1940, then was republished on cover of 1941 Book of Petty Phone Numbers, which sold in the thousands. [courtesy Peter Perrault collection]

Lt. Jack K. Wood was the original pilot of “The Vulgar Virgin” serial 41-24198, photo taken by LIFE magazine and published 17 May 1943 issue. The November 1941 Esquire Petty girl was painted life-size on the B-24 nose.

On 1 August 1943, “The Vulgar Virgin” was the lead bomber in Section “E” to enter the smoke and flame on the infamous Ploesti Raid, and she never came out. Only the pilot Capt. Wallace C. Taylor survived, the rest of his crew were killed in action. This 31” by 31” replica nose art painting was completed to honour the brave crew and their Petty Girl. The full history can be read on Clarence Simonsen Blog Preserving the Past II – The Vulgar Virgin.

This Esquire inside front cover ad for Old gold cigarettes in October 1939, still inspired American aircraft nose art in 1943. [author collection gift from Reid Stewart Austin]

Author collection. 1939 “What-A-honey” became 1944 Maiden America.

The powerful male acceptance of the 1939 and 1941 Petty gatefolds allowed her to remain during the war years, even without an editorial outlet for artist George Petty. The bulk of the 1942 Petty advertising were all recycled girls which had appeared in Esquire magazine in 1938, 1939, and two from 1940. George held all his original trademark reproduction rights and just resold his finest images, and reversed other Petty Girl paintings. In 1943, RKO motion pictures purchased the rights for making a film titled “The Petty Girl” and George received $25,000, plus painted four girls for advertising the picture. This motion picture would be shown to Allied troops fighting around the world and the Petty Girl was still alive and being painted on combat aircraft. In August 1943, George once again put his old Esquire Petty Girl paintings to work when he introduced a new portfolio of three previously gatefold published girls and one new Petty “Bathing Girl” painting.

[Left] – the new July 1943, “Bathing Girl” 12 ½-by-19-inch portfolio painting from the collection of Peter Perrault. This Petty Girl was used in advertising taken out in PIC magazine, [right] September 1943, New Yorker magazine, November 1943, and Popular Mechanics, October 1943, and February 1944. George Petty also had special packing for all orders going overseas to servicemen, which delivered his art around the world directly to battle fronts. The other three girls had each appeared in Esquire magazine gatefolds and were now reversed and renamed. These four girls sold in the thousands, and reintroduced the three reverse older image girls to a new generation of Allied fighting men.

The original Esquire December 1941, reversed and given a sun hat and shoes. “Sunshine Girl”

The original Esquire November 1941, reversed with book cover blank. “Boudoir Girl” – [both courtesy Peter Perrault collection]

Lt. Col. Gus Lundquist via Jeffrey Ethell collection, 1991.

In 1943, the RAF loaned a British Spitfire Mk. IX, serial MK210, to the USAAF at Wright Field, for testing long-range fuel drop tanks. On the return flight to England, September 1943, test pilot Lt. Col. Gus Lundquist belly-landed the Spitfire at Greenland, BW8 landing field. A base mechanic, Sergeant Petta ask if he could give the Spitfire some nose art while repairs were being done, and the end result was the August 1943, Petty “Boudoir Girl.” [Internet]

Vern Currie collection, Florida, 1988. Author replica painting.

Photo [left] from Vern Currie, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who served in the 93^rd Bomb Group, 331 B. Squadron. The 93^rd “Travelling Circus” was assigned to the 8^th Air Force, Alconbury, England, 6 September 1942. They moved to Hardwick, England, 7 September 1942, served in North Africa, December 1942, and Mediterranean Theatre of war [Egypt-Libya] June and July 1943. The 93^rd made the wrong turn in the low-level raid at Ploesti, enemy oil fields, 1 August 1943, returned to England in mid-August 1943. The August 1943, Petty Portfolio girls began to appear in England and the “Bathing Girl” was selected and painted on a B-24 in the 331^st Bomb Squadron around this date. The nose art name, and serial number are unknown. This author replica nose art is painted on original WWII skin from a U.S. Navy B-25 Mitchell aircraft. The insignia was the unofficial 93^rd Bomb Group badge used during combat in WWII, which changed in postwar era.

In 1932, an unknown eighteen-year-old Jewish-Austrian actress made a name for herself in a Czech-Austrian film titled “Ecstasy.” This young exotic beauty, Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, swam fully nude and performed the worlds first onscreen female orgasm in cinematic history.

The film was at once condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency in the United States and the release was banned until 1940. The pure beauty and seductress power of this unknown female caught the eye of studio mogul Louis B. Mayer, who brought her to Hollywood, changed her name to Hedy Lamarr, and introduced her to American audiences. The full history, films, and talent of Hedy can be read online at many sites. Elegance, Beauty, Brains, plus an inventor with a real head on that erotic body. Watch the 2017 movie “Bombshell” – The Hedy Lamarr Story, it will blow your mind at what this lady accomplished and her own life tragedy.

Left is the movie poster for 1932 Czech-Austria film “Ecstasy” released 20 January 1933. In 1942, Hedy starred in the film “White Cargo” where she wore full body “Blackface” of a wild seductress dark skinned native girl named “Tondelayo.” The movie made a profit of one and one half million dollars, mainly because of her sexy, erotic, screen actress beauty. The movie was also shown around the world to Allied males at war, which inspired many, many, aircraft nose art paintings.

B-17G, 398^th Bomb Group.

Author B-25 collection from George Gosney, 345^th “Air Apaches” converted to a cargo aircraft in 1945.

Original Kodachrome 35 mm slide film from Mark Brown collection.

The author obtained the 35 mm slide nose art collection from 8^th Air Force photo interpreter Mark Brown in 1982. This B-24J-155-CO was serial 44-40284 and she flew with the 8^th Air Force, 487^th Bomb Group from Lavenham, England. The exceptional American nose artist was Sgt. Daune Bryers who painted “This Above All” – “Purty Baby” – “Classey Chassy” and “Tondelayo.” The image was taken at Lavenham, England, in early July 1944, after the bomber had completed one mission, orange painted bomb. On 19 July 1944, the B-24 was hit by flak but returned to England, where the aircrew jumped, the pilot turned the bomber around and pointed her towards the English Channel, then he jumped. The B-24 “Tondelayo” flew all the way back to Belgium before crashing. Hundreds of American aircraft were named Tondelayo and painted with Hedy Lamarr nose art images, however one 8^th Air Force B-17 nose art named “Tondelayo” was different from all the rest. Hedy Lamarr became a one-time Petty Girl nose art.

“Tondelayo” B-17F-75-BO, serial 42-29896 flew with the 379^th Bomb Group, 527^th Bomb Squadron, code letter “Y”. [8^th Air Force Association]

On 6 September 1943, 8^th Air Force Mission #91 to Stuttgart, Germany, two-hundred and thirty-three B-17s attacked, forty-five failed to return, four-hundred and thirty-three men missing in action. “Tondelayo” crew photo 12 July 1943 – John Fawkes, [Co-pilot] Chas Mauldin, [Navigator] Elmer Bendiner, [Bombardier] Bob Hejny, [Flight/Engineer] Larry Reedman, [Radio Operator] Fred Reinhard, Ball turret] Walt Gray, [Waist gun] John Leary, [Waist gun] Harry Edwards, [Tail gun] Mike Arooth [Pilot]. On return to base they ran out of fuel and ditched in English Channel near Dover, all aircrew rescued and returned to active duty.

This Boeing built B-17F nose art contained two American Icons in the same nose painting. The pose came from the Jantzen 1940 Petty Girl bathing suit, while the name and dark haired beauty Tondelayo was in fact Hedy Lamarr. [Author collection from Reid S. Austin]

Author replica 31” by 31” painting on original WWII B-25 bomber skin.

The 379^th Bomb Group was activated 26 November 1942, assembled and trained at Wendover Field, Utah, until 2 December 1942. Moved to Sioux City Air Force Base, Iowa, on 3 February 1943. Boeing constructed B-17F-75-BO was assigned to 527^th Bomb Squadron [Crossed Bombs and Skull] on 20 March 1943, flew the North Atlantic ferry route to England on 15 April 1943, arrived Kimbolton, Station #117, five days later. “Tondelayo” first operation was flown 29 May 1943, ran out of fuel returning from raid on Stuttgart, Germany, 6 September 1943, ditched in English Channel near Dover, all aircrew rescued. The original Petty Girl pose came from the full page Jantzen ad in LIFE magazine May 1940. This original George Petty art painting [next page] sold by Heritage Auctions in August 2009 for $15,535.00, present owner unknown.

George Petty took two full weeks to complete this original 14” by 11” [36 x 27cm] painting for Jantzen Knitting Mills. [Courtesy Reid Stewart Austin from owner Charles G. Martignette] Original 1940 Petty painting, sold from Martignette Estate in 2009 for $15,535 U.S.

George Petty was a master in touching up his original Esquire gatefold paintings and reselling for advertising. The Esquire July 1941 gatefold was repainted in red wearing a pilot uniform for Shirtcraft Airman shirts. The insert Airman ad appeared in LIFE magazine in 1943, and now men also required a new tie to go with their new shirt.

In early 1944, George Petty negotiated a new contact with Hut Neckwear Company to produce Petty Girls men’s ties. This name royalty paid George $600 per month and twelve designed Petty original ties were sold across the United States at $2.50 each.

[Esquire July 1941 from Reid Stewart Austin as a gift. Inset from author LIFE magazine collection.]

Rothschild’s Petty Girl ad courtesy Peter Perrault collection. Insert [right] is original Petty Tie from his rare collection, featuring the Esquire October 1939 pin-up girl.

This fully nude Petty cartoon with no face first appeared in Esquire October 1939. She also appeared on the cover of Esquire for January 1940 and inside the same issue as memorial Petty cartoons. [courtesy Reid Stewart Austin collection]

Memorial Petty Girl cartoons January 1940 issue of Esquire. [courtesy Peter Perrault collection] These nine girls all appeared in 1937-38-39 issues of Esquire magazine.

The 1944, Petty Girl Original Ties came in twelve or more different designs, but the only pin-up girl was the original October 1939 painting. She appeared on thousands of Petty Original Ties. [courtesy Peter Perrault collection]

Another 1943 Airman Shirt stand-up display. [Peter Perrault collection]

[Author collection]

On 2 December 1944, a new B-17G-100-BO arrived at Bassingbourn, England, and was assigned to the 91^st B.G., 323^rd Bomb Squadron. Her first operation was flown on 15 December, given the nose art name “Peace or Burst” and art inspired from the Petty Girl Airman Shirt advertisement. This lady became the third and very last of three Petty nose art girls painted by Tony Starcer in England. Note – the dark red telephone line was painted on the fuselage leading to the pilot position of Lt. Dean. The B-17G completed 37 missions until 11 April 1945, damaged by Flak she made a forced landing near an Allied base camp. Salvaged from her landing site in Germany, 10 December 1945, and scrapped in Europe.

In January 1945, George Petty began a three-year span painting thirty-five new Petty Girls which appeared in Man’s Magazine TRUE. [Author collection below – November 1947]

These paintings were the single strongest Petty Girl paintings since the beginning of WWII entry by the United States in January 1942. [Officially War declared 8 December 1941] By 1945, True magazine circulation was 440,994 and two years later it swelled to 1,066,877 which most likely was partly due to the new True Petty Girl gatefolds. George Petty painted his favorite 1930 and early 1940 models as being redheads and blondes, the Dark haired girl rarely appeared, then in True magazine three brunettes appeared, such as November 1947. Another first was the special painted “Super Size Petty Girl” [9.25 by 22 inch] which appeared in a one-time three-page gatefold of the December 1946 issue of True.

The December 1946 largest vintage Petty Girl “True” gatefold. [Author collection]

The True Petty Girl was also published in calendars for 1947 and 1948. [Author collection]

Author collection – January 1948.

The 1948 sketches and paintings were the last nudes posed by daughter Marjorie Petty, she married on 4 September 1948, becoming Mrs. M. MacLeod.

At least three Petty Girls from Esquire and True calendars appeared on a new line of Men’s Silk Varsity manufactured Petty Boxer shorts. Below is Esquire February 1940 Petty Girl. [Courtesy Peter Perrault collection]

This original Petty Girl appeared in Esquire magazine February 1940, then re-appeared as the December 1947 True Calendar girl, and lastly on men’s 1948 Varsity boxer shorts. [Author collection] The American Petty style glamour artist was slowly entering the new era of photographic pin-ups and the glamour photo calendar, which Petty fully understood. The end of the painted pin-up girl was fast approaching.

This rare [undated] Petty Girl display for Blue-Jay corn plasters once again shows the brilliant business smarts of artist George Petty. The original red phone cord [Wool Yarn] is still in mint condition. Just one of many items in the huge collection of Peter Perrault, who has spent a life-time preserving the Petty Girl past. Now, if there were just a Petty Museum to display, educate, and preserve this forgotten Petty Girl history which changed the pin-up girl in United States and Canada 1933 to 1945.

On a Sunday morning, 25 June 1950, South Korea calm was suddenly shattered with the roar of gunfire and the clanking of North Korean tanks. It was the beginning of three years of United Nations war which moved up and down the Korean Peninsula, a conflict which never ended. This ‘U.N. police action’ was the first American “political war” and this was reflected in some aircraft nose art. The American fighting man had been placed in a killing war he was not political permitted to win and I feel some protested with flamboyant nude girl art and names like “United Notions.” In 1948, Esquire magazine replaced the famous Alberto Vargas with Al Moore and he created the 1948 new “Esquire Girl.” By 1950, the Al Moore two-page gatefold girls and calendars were being collected by millions of American males, which inspired Korean War aircraft nose art to a large degree. The big surprise being the Petty Girls of True magazine 1947 and 48 calendars never appeared in the Korean War, while a few Vargas True magazine girls from 1952 did. I can only guess the 1930-40 Petty dream girls were no longer popular.

This October 1952 Esquire Girl was painted by artist named “Michael” and “Sweet Miss Lillian” appeared on a Douglas B-26C, serial 44-34334, 17^th Bomb Wing, 37^th Bomb Squadron, K-9, Pusan, Korea.

This photo came from Major Robert C. Mikesh in 1974, who reported the artist charged $15.00 per nose art painting and did most of the 17^th B. Wing paintings in South Korea, September, October, and November 1952. Fine artistic talent. [Author collection]

Reid Stewart Austin collection gifted to author.

It is possible this Petty Girl [Pink Bunny, Esquire, May 1939] unconsciously inspired the dreams of a young Hugh Hefner who first worked as copy-editor for Esquire magazine. It has been documented [Reid Stewart Austin, who was 1960 art director for Playboy] Hefner hung Petty Girls on his bedroom walls and this rabbit-eared image hung above his bed. From the very start in December 1953, his new publication “Playboy” was aimed at the indoor, city-born, rich, sophisticated male in North America who enjoyed the best of female company. The world famous Black Rabbit was sketched for the second publication of Playboy and history was made. I suspect the original Petty Girl Pink Bunny connection may never be proven, however it sounds reasonable. Playboy magazine, their center-fold Playmates, and girl pin-up paintings by Alberto Vargas became the inspiration for a large number of Vietnam aircraft and helicopter nose art paintings.

Vietnam became the first war in American aviation history to produce a new category in military aircraft nose art. The U.S. military found itself on the outside of a growing wave of isolationist and pacifistic attitudes and this provided a unique new aircraft art directed at the establishment. The F-105 Thunderchief first saw action over North Vietnam on 2 March 1965, and was affectionately known as the THUD. The F-105 fighter carried the most colorful combat aircraft nose art, [including anti-war rhetoric] ranking alongside the B-17s and B-24s flying in WW II. F-105D-10RE, serial 60-0504, had been operational in Thailand since mid-1965, then was taken over by Major ‘Buddy” Jones in April 1970. Flying with the 357^th Tactical Fighter Squadron his Thud was painted and named “Memphis Belle II” for her last six months of combat missions. The “Belle” returned to the U.S. and became part of the 127^th T.F. [Training] Squadron at McConnell A.F.B. Kansas.

[Wikimedia Commons image]

The original “Memphis Belle II” serial 60-0504 preserved at the National Museum of the U.S.A.F., with two red Stars on her nose for Mig-17 kills in Vietnam.

From 1972-75 James H. Farmer published a nose art column in the Journal of American Aviation Historical Society titled Art and the Airman. These well researched articles became a major reference base for my early research into American postwar aircraft nose art. Farmer became an expert on documenting the huge range of nose art painted on the F-105 Thuds flown in Vietnam. In the Spring of 1973, Farmer wrote – “The reason for the decline in nude and erotic ladies in Vietnam was perhaps an increase in the overall level of the 1970s pilot education, around 32 years compared to the WWII average pilot age of 24 years.” He suggested pilot maturity, education, and professionalism effected nose art aircraft markings. I had to wait almost twenty-years to find the answer to that question. No, it did not.

Kuwait’s invasion by Iraq on 2 August 1990, led to the largest deployment of world military hardware since 1945. The United Nations Coalition Forces numbered 700,000 troops from 32 nations and over 2,000 combat aircraft, in Operation Desert Storm, which began 15 January 1991. Seventy-five per cent of the coalition air forces came from the United States and almost every aircraft carried some form of nose art. RAF ground units in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain painted the first nose art and the British crossed many lines with the local religious police.

RAF Buccaneer S-2B [XW547] Gulf nose art by Cpl Letham became a most talked-about graphic art, and I don’t believe the veil did anything to appease the Saudi religious police?

Most of the RAF reclining nose art ladies wearing little else than a sweet smile, were Ok for the fighters in remote desert bases, but not for Lyneham’s Hercules transports based in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. Female nose art was definitely out, but somehow ground crew artist J.A. Osborough painted this “Foxy Lady” life-size on Hercules C.1P serial XV206.

XV206 moved British special forces around the Gulf War and the nude nose art remained for her complete combat tour, to the delight of all troops. The lady was in fact a “Femlin” which was created by artist Leroy Neiman for Playboy magazine and appeared in every issue beginning in 1957. Gremlins were a large part of WWII nose art, created by RAF pilot F/Lt. Roald Dahl [Charlie and the Chocolate Factory author fame] which was brought to book and cartoon production by Walt Disney artist William Justice in 1943. The tiny twelve-inch-high female Gremlin was called “Fifinella” and being good-luck, appeared on a number of aircraft as WWII nose art. Hugh Hefner wanted his 12” female Gremlin to highlight the pages in Playboy magazine and named her “FEMLIN” appearing over the next fifty years. So, there’s a lot more to aircraft nose art than just a nude pretty lady, which most times is only shared by pilots and aircrew/ground-crew. The Gulf War proved once again, if you are willing to die for another man’s country, you can paint what you want on your own government aircraft. Then the hero’s/survivors return home and everything must be removed at once.

The 12” Walt Disney art of “Fifinella” by William Justice [left] and the 1957 Playboy Hefner “Femlin” both appeared on many aircraft from WWII until the Gulf War, where the “Memphis Belle” Petty Girl nose art suddenly reappeared on USAF fighter and bomber aircraft.

This Fairchild A-10A Thunderbolt II, serial 80-0229, became Memphis Belle III in the Gulf War.

Another “Memphis Belle III” painted on B-52G, serial 59-2594. These Stratofortress bombers flew 14 hour bombing missions to targets in Iraq and Kuwait, and carried impressive American nose art.

Memphis Belle IV, B-52H, serial 60-0001 flew missions in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Memphis Belle V today flies on a Lockheed C-141 Starlifter serial 67-0024. [both free domain]

“Memphis Belle X” flies [2021] on a C-5 Galaxy serial 69-9025 while “Memphis Belle XI” flies on a C-17 Globemaster III, serial 93-0600. [The photos can be found online; however, they are not free domain]

Anthony L. [Tony] Starcer, [16 September 1919 – 9 June 1986] the 8^th Air Force nose artist who created the first nose art Memphis Belle. [1942 left and 1982 right]

Tony joined the Army Air Force in spring of 1942, and was shipped to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, for his basic training and then graduated to mechanic training. One day Tony was assigned to general cleaning duties in the Officer’s Club, where he observed a man painting a large mural and told him he had too much blue in his color mix. He was told if he thought he could do better, then go ahead and finish the painting. Starcer finished the mural and during his spare time began painting air force insignia on ashtrays. After mechanic training Tony was posted to the 91^st Bombardment Group [The Ragged Irregulars] in third phase B-17 training at Walla Walla Air Base Washington. The ground echelon took the train to Fort Dix, NJ and boarded the Queen Mary which sailed for England on 5 September 1942. The Air echelon remained at base waiting for new B-17F aircaft and flew the North Atlantic ferry route in late September, arriving Kimbolton, England, on 10 October 1942. The complete 91^st Bomb Group began their move to Bassingbourn [American Station #121] on 14 October, where they remained until 23 June 1945. When the 8^th Air Force arrived in U.K. [97^th B.G. July 1942] the USAAF had no official form of unit markings for their aircraft, and the RAF visual code single letter tail fin system was adopted. In November 1942, the 91^st B.G. began painting their B-17s with a medium-green blotching upper surface spray painted in a shadow-shade camouflage, and RAF three-letter squadron and aircraft single letter on both sides of the fuselage in 50” large bright yellow paint. Tony was assigned the task of spray painting the green blotching and painting the large squadron and assigned aircraft code letters on the fuselage of B-17s in the 322^nd and 401st B. Squadrons.. At the same time, he began to paint the names of girlfriends and wives at the various positions of the ten aircrew B-17 aircraft stations. [This information was explained in a January 1983 letter from Starcer]

Painting by Hugh Polder, gift from WWII nose artist Nick H, Fingelly.

From December 1942 until March 1943, four 8^th Air Force Bomb Groups painted their B-17F bombers with RAF style Medium Green blotching. [91^st, 303^rd, 305^th, and 306^thGroups] The above photo and painting shows the Medium Green blotching on the Memphis Belle, first painted by Tony Starcer before he became an aircraft nose artist. Tony’s first nose painting appeared on B-17F, serial 42-2990, named “Dame Satan” followed by B-17F, serial 41-24639, “Careful Virgin” which was just lettering. His third painting was a B-17F, serial 41-24485, and pilot Robert K. Morgan picked the nose art name for his Memphis fiancee “Little One” Margaret Polk, the Esquire pinup gatefold girl was the April 1941 Petty Girl. This complete Memphis Belle history can be found on many websites, many, many, publications, and alongside the original “Belle” in the National Museum of the USAF at Dayton Ohio. However, one small part of aviaiton nose art history is still forgotten. During the American war years [1942-45] the pin-up art of Alberto Vargas controlled the market, along with many other fine American girl illustrators. George Petty only painted two new pin-up girls 1943, yet his other Esquire girls from 1939-41 retained their nose art male attraction.

Tony Starcer continued to paint nose art ladies [over 68 paintings] with at least 45 from the pages of Esquire magazine gatefold “Varga” Girls, only three were known Petty Girls. [Author collection]

“Boston Bombshell” was the August 1943 Esquire Varga Girl, reversed on nose of B-17G-10-VE, serial 42-39898, 91^st B.G., 332 B.S., shot down 13 December 1943. [Ray Bowden collection]

A few of his Esquire Varga Girls were captured on color film like this 35 mm slide image taken by Mark Brown at Bassingbourn, England, plus painting real WAC American nurse presentation B-17G nose art, “Lady Helen [Lt. Pierson] of Wimpole, USAAF Hospital.

[Author collection]

Tony Starcer’s nose art was inspired and copied from many other famous illustrators such as Earl Moran, Rolf Armstrong, and a most respected glamour girl painter Gil Elvgren. Gil was in a class of his own with a brilliant painting technique, which was studied and copied by Tony, and as Stracer painted, he was also learning from the masters. In 1940, Elvgren worked for Coca-Cola and his full page ads appeared in mainstream magazines. The color insert was painted in 1941, titled “Net Results” which was reproduced [bubble gum cards, match covers, and calendars] a number of times during the war, becoming “Little Patches” with the 324^th Bomb Squadron, B-17G, serial 42-31678. This original nose art [above] was repainted by Starcer after a fire in 1944, with longer hair and more rounded [OH!] lips appearing in the second painting. The full history of “Little Patches” can be found on the USAAF nose art project website. Starcer preferred to paint quality pin-up girls, rather than the topless or fully nude images requested by many aircrew, however he did paint half-a-dozen topless ladies.

This B-17F “Miss Minooke” 42-30712, was an early Starcer topless pin-up.

“The Keystone MaMa” #42-97455 was also topless and very rare black pin-up girl. Shot down by Flak over Berlin, Germany 19 May 1944.

The “Lady of Color” B-17G nose art was possibly inspired by this 1940 cartoon which appeared in Click magazine, artist Robert E. Lee. Cuddles and her dog appeared in every issue which was a direct spin-off from the Petty Girls in the 30s and 1940s, again inspiring many American aircraft nose art paintings.

The 91^st B.G. would have 298 Flying Fortress bombers assigned and around 270 received some form of painting or nose art name. The author has identified at least 180 were painted by Tony Starcer and his assistant artist Charles Frank Busa Sr. Two other nose artists completed a dozen more paintings and Busa completed four of his own paintings. Cpl. T. Starcer painting “Heavyweight Annihilator No. 2” serial 42-5712. The lady was not a Vargas or Petty Girl, assigned a new crew and painted over becoming “My Prayer” salvaged 20 March 1944. [Paul C. Burnett collection]

B-17F serial 41-24505 arrived 26 September 1942, assigned code DF-E and was painted by Starcer from the Esquire October 1938 Petty Girl. No lit candle appeared on his nose art “QUITCHURBITCHIN” Petty Girl painting. Shot up badly on 8^th A.F. mission #22, Lorient, France, 22 November 1942, the bomber became a ‘Hangar Queen’ raided for spare parts by ground crews. Repaired and transferred as a B-17 trainer aircraft on 15 March 1944.

This Esquire October 1938 Petty Girl became the nose art for B-17F “Quitchurbitchin” and is believed to be the second of three nose art Petty Girls painted by Tony Starcer. [Courtesy Peter Perrault collection]

Flying alongside thirty or more Vargas Girls in the 91^st Bomb Group, the April 1941 faceless Petty Girl became the first of three painted by Tony Starcer, plus world famous. [Author collection]

The 91^st Bomb Group suffered the highest loss of bomber aircraft in the 8^th Air Force [England] with 197 Fortress aircraft missing in action. That’s two thousand aircrew killed or POW over thirty-three months of air war. On 17 May 1943, the little Petty Girl became the first B-17F honoured and filmed for completing twenty-five missions in the 8^th Air Force. Charles Frank Busa Sr. [top right] the nose art assistant to Tony Starcer paint her 25th bomb [mission] symbol. This simple faceless Esquire magazine Petty Girl beat the odds in more ways than one, and now she is forever aviation world famous. [USAAF photo 1943]

The “Memphis Belle” history came by phone calls and letters from nose artist Tony Starcer, 1980-1986. This was first published thirty years ago in the book “The History of Aircraft NOSE ART WWI to Today, 1991, Jeffrey L. Ethell – Clarence Simonsen. The Petty Girl story and rare images are from the generosity of Reid Stewart Austin. Peter Perrault has assembled the largest collection of Petty Girl publications and Petty merchandise in the world. Peter was very kind to lend his Petty Girl knowledge and loan some of his rare forgotten George Petty items for first time Blog publication. Thank you Peter.

The Vulgar Virgin

The Vulgar Virgin (PDF document)

Text version (with all images in the PDF document)

The Vulgar Virgin

This attractive lady appeared as the November 1941 gatefold issue of Esquire magazine, painted by the most famous illustrative pin-up artist in America, George Brown Petty IV. In his “Petty Girl” George created an American female icon, a full-figured beauty, all-color with a sensual look combining sophisticated sexuality with the American girl-next-door smile and sweetness. The Petty Esquire pin-up established the first fold-out [gatefold] for all future pin-up magazines, such as Playboy. These gatefolds reached new heights in popularity during World War Two, and became a major world wide aircraft nose art subject. First born, daughter Marjorie ‘Jule’ Petty [21 September 1919] became his family model plus the real living “Petty Girl” posing fully nude [1930-1948] for each and every original sketch and airbrush painting.

The Esquire cartoon nude, April 1935, was turning into the “Petty Girl” pin-up of 1937.

The American B-24 aircraft which the Petty Girl ‘Vulgar Virgin’ appeared on was one of 18,482 Liberators constructed between 1939 and 1945, designated as they were built at five American factories. The Consolidated Vultee Model 32 Liberator prototype first flew on 29 December 1939, and was put into production in September 1940, for the British, [164 bombers] and French [120 bombers] governments. When France fell to Nazi Germany, their production order was taken over by the British and Canadian government orders. The B-24 progressed through several changes under British contracts before it went into large scale production for the U.S. Army Air Corps. When a change was made at a production factory that did not require a new model designation, the change appeared in the aircraft “block number.” The factories assigned block numbers in multiples of five, B-24D-20-CO, with an Air Corps Serial 41-24198. The last two letters identified the factory where each aircraft was built, [CO] Consolidated, San Diego, and [CF] Consolidated Fort Worth, [DT] Douglas, Tulsa, [NT] North American, Dallas, and [FO] Ford, Willow Run.

When the final aircraft production was withdrawn on 31 May 1945, the two Consolidated Vultee plants at San Diego and Fort Worth had produced over 10,000 B-24 Liberators. Between 1940 – 1942 these two plants manufactured 2,728 B-24D models including “The Vulgar Virgin.”

Image from Reid Stewart Austin collection 1996

The Consolidated, San Diego, California plant constructed one-hundred and eight B-24D-20 models in four different batches during June 1942.
Batch #1 – Thirty-nine aircraft serial numbers 41-24100 – 41-24138
Batch #2 – Sixteen aircraft serial numbers 41-24142 – 4-24157
Batch #3 – Eight aircraft serial numbers 41-24164 – 4124171
Batch #4 – Forty-five aircraft serial numbers 41-24175 – 41-24219
The factory block numbers for “The Vulgar Virgin” clearly appear in the above 1943 photo.
U.S. ARMY B-24D
AIR CORP. SERIAL NO. 41-24198

In the spring of 1942, American Air Force planners had agreed to schedule nine combat groups for the Middle East and North Africa campaigns, beginning in September. This was planned to allow the American Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress aircrews to become well established and trained for combat operations in England. On 15 June a crisis developed in North Africa, with the British port at Tobruk about to fall to Rommel’s Afrika Korps. Tobruk was a valuable prize, with water supply, military stores, and an excellent Mediterranean harbor, which British and Australian troops had captured just months before. By the end of June, the British forces had pulled back 300 miles from Tobruk, to make a last stand defence at El Alamein, and the fate of Egypt lay in their fighting skills. General Lewis Brereten, commanding the American Tenth Air Force in India, was at once ordered by Washington to gather every available heavy bomber and proceed to the Middle East. At the same time, three new stateside bomb groups received orders to prepare for movement to North Africa, and that’s how B-24D-20-CO serial number 41-24198 and the 98th Bomb Group arrived at Palestine in the last week of July 1942.

In 1926, the United States Army began to expand its air arm and many new groups were formed and activated. On 1 March 1935, the U.S. War Department established an important change in the combat organization of the air arm, creating General Headquarters Air Force, under command of an Air Force Officer. All the pursuit, bombardment, and attack units in the United States now came under control of a new organization called Air Corps. These units received an approved official unit insignia or air corps badge. The separation of the General Headquarters Air Force [combat organization] and the Air Corps [logistic organization] caused many serious problems in coordination. On 20 June 1941, the War Department created the U. S. Army Air Forces, with the General Headquarters and Air Corps renamed Air Force Combat Command. In January 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to strengthen America’s air power. By the time the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, [7 Dec. 1941] the USAAF had expanded from 30 active air force groups to 67, with many more in the process of being constituted.

The USAAF 98th Bombardment Group was constituted on 28 January 1942, and activated on 3 February 1942. The Group squadrons were 343rd, 344th, 345th, and the 415th, which all trained in the early production model B-24 bombers. Formed at MacDill Field, Florida, 3 February 1942, training commenced at Barksdale Field, La, late February 1942. Flight training took place at Fort Myers, Fla, 30 March 1942, and lastly at Drane Field, Fla, 15 May to 3 July 1942. On 16 June 1942, the American assembled air arm near Cairo, Egypt, was given the official title United States Army Forces in the Middle East [USAFIME], containing a small number of American B-17s [nine] and [twelve] B-24 bombers, desperately needed to boost the British defence against the Desert Fox Rommel. Moving from Florida on 15 July 1942, the 98th [Pyramiders] ferried their new B-24D bombers across the South Atlantic route and began arriving at Ramat David, thirty-five miles east of Haifa, Palestine, on 25 July 1942, ready to join the 1st Provisional bombers in the United States Army Middle East Air Force.

The 98th Bomb Group aircrew members designed and applied for their official insignia during training, and their new shield with motto “For Freedom” was approved on 29 July 1942. They began the Egypt-Libya campaign just five weeks after it began, wearing their new official insignia. The above insignia is believed to be the original correct colors; however, the zig-zag black line was mainly painted yellow in North Africa.

This image shows a 98th B.G. B-24D in the period markings for August 1942 in Palestine. The national insignia star was type 2, diameter of 20 inches, tail serial number ten inches from top of fin and painted in yellow, for B-24s produced at San Diego, California, and radio-call letter “X” in middle of fin 16 inches high. These B-24Ds were painted in a special camouflage officially known as Sand and called “Desert Pink.” As the hot Mediterranean sun bleached the aircraft surface, the yellow pigments faded and the aircraft turned into a strong pink color, known as desert pink or more commonly called “tittie pink.” The 98th Bomb Group were able to go directly into action, [1 August 1942] and for these new American airmen, this was their first experience coordinating close air support with mixed [Australian, New Zealand, Canadian] British ground forces. The British techniques soon proved popular with the new American fliers, and they became instrumental in liberating both the RAF and American Air Forces from direct control of ground commanders. Air and ground staff in the British system shared the same headquarters and desert environment living quarters. This allowed the 98th to observe first hand the complex techniques of air-ground coordination which the British had developed over years of fighting in the Western Desert.

The American Egypt-Libya Theatre of war officially began on 11 June 1942, when the small Halverson Detachment equipped with twenty-five B-24 bombers began operations in the Middle East. American leaders had originally agreed that the Middle East was a British responsibility, however now American air support was essential for the region to remain in Allied hands. The 98th flew their first mission from Palestine on 1 August 1942, attacking Rommel’s fuel and oil supply convoy 90 miles north of Benghazi, Libya. They moved to St. Jean, Palestine, on 21 August, attacking German shipping convoys that same day and 29 August west of the island of Crete. The 98th continued to bomb shipping and harbor installations in Libya, Tunisia, Sicily, Italy, and Crete. From 25 October to 5 November they took part in the Battle of El Alamein and helped stop Rommel in his drive towards the Suez Canal. On 11 November 1942, the 98th flew to their new assigned RAF landing ground at Fayid or [Fayed], Egypt. The next day Lt. General Frank M. Andrews assumed command of United States Army Forces in the Middle East. His first act was to dissolved the [USAMEAF] United States Army Middle East Air Force and established the Ninth Air Force. [12 November 1942] Below – RAF base [tent city] at Fayid, Egypt in 1942, where the 345th and 415th B. Squadrons were based until 25 January 1943. The 343th and 344th Squadrons were based at Kabrit, Egypt, until March 1943.

On 8 November 1942, operation TORCH, the Anglo-American amphibious invasion of western North Africa began, and the Axis armies found themselves squeezed between the two Allied desert offensives. In February 1943, the British, with American air support, pushed across Libya, and the Egypt-Libya campaign ended on 12 February 1943.

The following three images were taken by a German Luftwaffe [POW] member during an Allied air attack on German base at Berka, [Benghazi, Libya], appearing in a Canadian newspaper “The Standard” Montreal, 26 September 1942. [author collection]

As British Air Superiority in the western desert grows daily they are striking harder and harder at Luftwaffe bases. These series of photos taken from a captured German show RAF bombs bursting among Ju 82’s at a Nazi aerodrome at Berka. Germans probably named the base after a German town 150 miles southwest of Berlin. Allied planes also blast Nazi convoys in the Mediterranean. The Germans built three aerodromes south-west of Benghazi, all named Berka #1, #2, and #3.

Number 20 was Berka #1, 19 was Berka #2, and 18 was Berka #3. Number 21 was Lete, #22 was Benina North and #23 was Benina, where the Ninth Air Force were later based.

Luftwaffe groundcrew scamper over the runway toward undamaged gasoline drums as RAF bombs turn a German troop carrying Ju 52 into a blazing hulk. A Me 110 can be seen in the air above the volumn of dense smoke coming from the burning wreckage.

As more RAF bombs smash home, a whole nest of Ju 52’s goes up in smoke. Nazis have rushed a firefighting truck on the field in a vane attempt to control the fire and save something from wreckage. Two unexploded bombs lie on the field in the forground.

An American soldier examines two German 88 mm cannons which they destroyed before retreating from Egypt, July 1942. These images were possibly taken around Sidi Barrani, landing ground #2 in Egypt. The RAF operated over 120 landing ground desert strips in Egypt, summer of 1942.

The Canadian newspaper recorded American Black soldiers in the Ninth Air Force, something U.S. magazines avoided, 26 September 1942.

The American Ninth Air Force in Egypt, November 1942, the beginning of the push into Libya.

In the last week of January 1943, the four squadrons of the 98th Bomb Group began movement west from Egypt to RAF bases in the Libyan desert. The 345th Squadron arrived at Tobruk, landing ground Gubbi West on 25 January. The 415th B. S. followed, arriving Tobruk, landing ground Gubbi East on 25 January. The 343rd B. S. arrived at landing ground Gambut, Libya, on the last day of January. The 344th B.S. remained at RAF Kabrit until 3 March 1943, then flew to landing ground Lete, just east of Benghazi, Libya, on 4 March 1943. The 98th Bomb Group Headquarters moved to landing ground Benina, Libya, on 9 February 1943, and her two squadrons 345th and 415th were based 436 k/m east at Tobruk, Libya.
The Egypt-Libya Desert Campaign was one of the smaller, less well known U.S. Army Air Force battles in WWII. This campaign made a major contribution of the first Anglo-American cooperation for the later, and much larger combined endeavors in the European conflict.

In April 1943, LIFE magazine dispatched reporters to Benghazi, Libya, and six full pages appeared in the 17 May 1943 issue, eleven on the Ninth Air Force.

This young woman on the plane of Lieut. Jack K. Wood of Wichita Falls, Texas, has seen a lot of action in Tunisia. Name “The Vulgar Virgin” was picked by squadron vote. LIFE magazine.

This Petty Girl nude gatefold appeared in the November 1941 issue of Esquire magazine, the same week George Petty’s wife [Jule] and daughter [Marjorie] the living Petty Girl, were steaming toward Hawaii for a deserved five-week holiday. Their ship “Lurline” sailed for San Francisco on Friday, 5 December 1941, and two days later the captain called all passengers to the salon and informed them Pearl Harbor had been bombed. The two Petty Girl’s were going to war.

In October 1940, artist Alberto Vargas was signed to a three-year contract by Esquire magazine and slowly George Petty learned he would be sharing the spotlight in the magazine beginning January 1941. This complete history can be read on many websites and the excellent book “Petty” by Reid Stewart Austin. The Esquire paintings by Petty in 1941 are considered to be some of his best in both grace and nudity, direct artist competition can cause that. Above is the last Petty gatefold to appear in Esquire, December 1941, and now Alberto Vargas [Varga Girl, the “s” was dropped] would take over. A generation of American and Canadian males had grown up with the Petty Girl pin-up on their walls and now the acceptance of these early gatefolds allowed her to coast through the war years. Thousands of RAF pilots trained in Canada, and were exposed to the Petty Girl, combined with RCAF aircrew who accepted the Petty painted girls in the mid-1930s, then took her to war. Many of these 1937 to 1940 calendar Petty Girls in fact first appeared in North Africa on British RAF aircraft flown by Allied pilots.

[author collection]

This North African B-24D carried the title “Cielito Lindo” a most famous 1882 Mexican song which is translated into Pretty Little Sky. The full nude on a swing came from the September 1941 Petty Girl gatefold in Esquire magazine, appearing as nose art on many American aircraft.

In the Middle East a handful of British permanent aerodromes had been developed and constructed between the two world wars. However, the majority of combat missions flown in North Africa during WW II were conducted from temporary Landing Grounds, and the RAF numbered over five-hundred such locations. As soon as the Axis forces had been defeated in North Africa, these temporary Landing Grounds were abandoned and quickly reclaimed by the desert sands. The RAF now concentrated on a chain of selected landing grounds along the coast, and these were slowly improved with the erection of permanent buldings and paved runways. Many of these bases had been first occupied by the Italians, Germans, and British forces a number of times. Bengasi, Libya, was captured from Rommel by the British on Christmas Day 1941, then a month later the Germans recaptured it and held it until November 1942, when Mongomery again permanently kicked the German Army out, supported by 98th B.G. air power. Bengashi was home to three major RAF landing grounds, L.G. Benina, which was located 21 k/m east of Benghazi, and L.G. Benina [North] located next door just 1.5 k/m away. The third L.G. was Lete, located 5 k/m west of Benina, constructed by both Germans and British. On 9 February 1943, 98th B.G. Headquarters moved to L.G. Benina, Libya, with the 343rd B.S. and 344th B.S. moving to L.G. Lete on 3 and 4 March 1943. This was during the middle of the Tunisia campaign when the Allies were fighting to take Tunis and Bizert, before the Germans could send reinforcements to Tunisia. In late-July 1943, photographer and author Ivan Dmitri flew into Benghazi, Libya, and recorded the history of the Ninth Air Force in action color, appearing in his book Flight to Everywhere, published 1944.

Rommel’s Rubbish. All that’s left of a Nazi plane rots in the desert while in the background a Ninth Air Force B-24D starts on a new mission.

The Other Fight – Dust storms. B-24D-85-CO, serial 42-40657, 376th B.G. became “GI Ginnie.”

The 376th [Heavy] Bomb Group was activated at Lydda, Palestine on 31 October 1942, and began B-24D operations immediately. Their unofficial badge was created during combat at Abu Sueir, Egypt, featuring a stylized yellow winged sphinx, on red sand, with a yellow 500 lb. bomb pointed downward from a dark blue sky, with motto – LIBERANDOS. Their four squadrons in 1942-45 were 512th, 513th, 514th and 515th B.S. [This WWII badge was not officially approved until 8 November 1951, while equipped with B-29s in SAC] Aircraft #100 B-24D-85-CO, serial 42-40664, was named Teggie Anne and became the Command Aircraft on the Ploesti raid 1 August 1943. They flew out of Gambut, 1 Jan. 1943, Soluch, 22 Feb. and arrived at Bengasi, Libya, on 6 April 1943, where this image was taken three months later. The bomber nose art name “Teggie Anne” was only painted on the port side.

Twilight on the desert. B-24D Liberators from the 376th B.G. dispersed for miles along the Libyan coast, comprise the fighting strength of IX Bomber Command. B-24D #41 was assigned to the 513th Bomb Squadron, wearing the official approved emblem, a gold stylized falcon riding a 500 lb. light brown aerial bomb, over a black diamond with yellow trim. They arrived at Bengasi, Libya, on 6 April 1943.

In Rommel’s Seat. General Ent, center, occupies seat in War Room where Rommel worked.

Captured Italian truck with four-wheel drive put to good use by Ninth Air Force.

Those letters from home. A real floor in the tent, a bomb-fin casing for a table. What more could any American airmen ask?

New arrivals prepare for life of war, sand, and scorpions, setting up tent.

Mess kits and cooking utensils must be rinsed in boiling water to keep tropical germs at bay.

B-24D serial 41-23661, 98th B.G., 345th Bomb Squadron, Black Jack, “Roll them bombs.”

Beneath a 1000-pounder, crew member dusts sand from ammo to prevent possible fouling.

The Ninth Air Force flew their last mission to Rome on 19 July 1943, and the following day began intensive training on the desert east of Benghazi, Libya.

This was the target practice area where the outlines of Ploesti targets were traced in the desert sand.

Some of the Ninth Air Force nose art was recorded in color – “Homesick Susie” 42-40409, “Little Joe” serial 41-24195, 98th B. G. 415th B. Squadron, “Ubangi Webangi” serial unknown and “The Little Gramper” serial 42-40722, painted by nose artist Staff/Sgt. Charles Cavage. They all went to Ploesti on 1 August 1943.

The B-24D “Ubangi Webangi” had a sister ship named “Ubangi Bag” serial 41-24194, “B” with the same nose art painted on both sides, 415th Bomb Squadron. Nose artist S/Sgt. Cecil Lippard.

On 1 August 1943, 178 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers took off on a 2,700-mile round trip to bomb Ploesti, Romania. One-hundred and sixty-four bombers reached the target, and fifty-four did not return. Forty-one were lost to enemy action and fourteen to other causes, including eight interned in Turkey. A total of 1,725 airmen took part in this mission and 540 were lost in the skies over Ploesti, 310 killed in action. The tragedy of Ploesti has been published in hundreds of books and websites, measured only in the American airmen’s courage with no decisive combat results, or drop in German WWII oil supply.

The 389th Bomb Group [Heavy] “The Sky Scorpions” was activated on 24 December 1942, trained for overseas duty in the B-24 bomber, and arrived at Hethel, England, 11 June 1943. Almost immediately the 389th was loaned to the Ninth Air Force in North Africa, where they arrived at Bengashi, Libya, 3 July 1943, and prepared for the raid on Ploesti, Romania. This image was taken just before take-off, showing the nose art on “Wolf-Waggin,” [name recorded by Ivan Dmitri in 1943], B-24D-95-CO, serial 42-40775. She survived the trip to Ploesti and returned to temporarily combat in Tunisia on 25 August 1943, returning to England in October 1943.

The 389th B.G. had the least losses of all the Ploesti attacking groups, only six B-24s were lost from twenty-six attacking bombers.

At dawn [06:00 hrs] on Sunday, 1 August 1943, the first of 178 Liberators “Wingo-Wango” took off for the three-hour flight across the Mediterranean towards Ploesti.

Unknown B-24D pilot concentrates on flight to Ploesti, Romania.

The 98th Bomb Group [Pyramiders] were led by a tough, professional pilot from Texas, Colonel John R. Kane, [center] who carried the nickname “Killer.” This image [with his crew] was somewhat misleading as iron man Kane was never loved by his men, and was described as never fitting the image of today’s ‘officer and gentleman.’ Cold and ruthless, he was just as courageous, an amazing war leader of the Ninth Air Force in North Africa 1943. Kane crashed Hail Columbia “V” 41-11825 at RAF Station Nicosia, Cyprus. [below 2 Aug. 43]

The 1 August 1943, 98th B. G. flight crews which attacked Ploesti oil refineries, lead by [yellow marked] 344th B.S. Col. Kane in 41-11825 aircraft “V” Hail Columbia. B-24D #9, Nespor 41-11768, “D” Kickapoo, turned back and crashed, Gaston 41-11656, “H” Rowdy II, turned back, #2, Arens 41-11803 “E” Rosie Wreck’em, turned back, and #10 Edwards, 41-11040 “F” Big Operator, turned back. Circles B-24D #7 Hinch 41-24197 “A” Tagalong, and #6 Neeley 41-11819 “G” Raunchy, were both shot down over target. Four survived [#1 Kane 41-11825 “V”, #2 Hadley 41-24311 “L”, Hadley’s Harem, #5 Banks 41-40208 “K”, Sad Sack, and #8 LeBrecht 41-11761 “I”, The Squaw, only four out of the first nine aircraft, returned to land at RAF Station Nicosia, Cyprus.

Section “E” was a mix of squadron aircraft, two turned back, six attacked the target and only Lt. Weisler in a B-24D #026 “B” named “Baby” survived, landing at RAF Nicosia, Cyprus. “The Vulgar Virgin” never came out of the target smoke and flames, missing in action.
The five groups of B-24s aircraft took off 30 seconds apart, with the 98th Bomb Group [Sections A to E] in the third assigned group. The first 98th B.G. B-24D to become airborne at 07:09 hrs were 344th Bomb Squadron serial 41-24198, “The Vulgar Virgin” piloted by Capt. Wallace C. Taylor. [Missing in Action]

Lt. Weisler, B-24D serial 41-24026, named “Baby” followed at 07:10 hrs. [landed Cyprus]
Lt. Colchagoff, B-24D serial 41-11733, “Skipper” time 07:11 hrs. [Turn back – gas tank leak]
Col. Kane, B-24D serial 41-11825, “Hail Columbia” time 07:14 hrs. [landed Cyprus]
Lt. Arens, B-24D serial 41-11803, “Rosie Wreck’em” time 07:15 hrs. [Turn back – landed Malta]
Lt. Hadley, B-24D serial 41-24311, “Hadley’s Harm” time 07:16 hrs. [landed Cyprus]
Lt. Gaston, B-24D serial 41-11656, “Rowdy II” time 07:18 hrs. [Turned back – gas tank leak]
Lt. Banks, B-24D serial 41-24208, “Sad Sack”time 07:19 hrs. [landed Cyprus]
Lt. Neeley, B-24D serial 4-11819, “Raunchy” time 07:20 hrs. [Missing in Action]
Lt. Hinch, B-24D serial 41-24197, “Tagalong” time 07:21 hrs. [Missing in Action]
Lt. Le Brecht, B-24D serial 41-23795 “Sneezy” time 07:22 hrs. [landed Cyprus]
Lt. Nespor, B-24D serial 41-11768, “Kickapoo” time 07:23 hrs. [crash landing] Just after becoming air-borne 1st. Lt. Robert Nespor lost an engine with flames shooting out. Nespor turned around and headed back to base which was still obscured with clouds of red desert sand caused by all the bombers taking-off. Kickapoo landed, roughly bounced a couple of times, then over-shot striking a concrete telephone pole at the end of the runway.

Only navigator Polivka [left] and gunner Garner escaped the burning B-24D bomber.

Lt. Edwards, B-24D serial 41-24040, “What’s Cooking Doc” [Big Operator] time 07:24 hrs. [Turn back – #3 super-Charger out] The last B-24D in the 344th B. Squadron to take-off, then turned back, touching down at landing ground Lete, Libya, at 14:55 hrs.

Internet B-24 nose art collection

Killer Kane’s Pyramiders lifted off with forty-eight B-24D aircraft, in minutes “Kickapoo” crash landed, six others turned back, and now forty-one joined the others and headed for Ploesti. 165 of the original 178 Ninth Air Force aircraft hugged the sea for the first three-hour leg of the journey. The Pindus Mountains necessitated a climb to fourteen thousand feet where the next image was taken by photographer Ivan Dmitri.

With Col. Kane at the controls “Hail Columbia” entered the smoke and flame inferno, forty bombers followed, only twenty-three of the 98th Bomb Group B-24D bombers came out of the target area smoke. Eighteen bombers were shot down, one-hundred and eighty men killed or POWs. The cost to the Ninth Air Force for 30 minutes’ work was, indeed, too high, 54 bombers lost. Of the 164 Liberators which struck the target, 41 were lost to enemy action. Only 88 B-24D bombers returned to land at Benghazi, and barely half were still flyable. Fifty-five had been heavily damaged. Two hundred and sixteen American bodies were recovered with one-hundred and eighty-six captured.

LIFE magazine reported the raid on 30 August 1943, very brief in content.

Photos taken on 2 August 1943 by Ivan Dmitri recording the extent of damage.

B-24D serial 41-11766, “Chug-A-Lug” took six direct flak hits, instantly killing the engineer/gunner, but she made it home.

“Daisy Mae” serial 41-11815, had her tail shot-up, Sgt. Lewis M. Shields and T/Sgt. Chas J. Cammock repair the tail turret. Tail gunner Sgt. Nick Hunt from Las Animas, Colo. survived this 20 mm explosive shell.

Close-up of tail fin damage to “Daisy Mae” [nose art from internet] which somehow made it home to Lete, Libya.

This B-24D was in the 93rd B. G. called “Lucky” and the Panda Bear insignia was approved for the 409th B. Squadron on 16 February 1943. The Panda lived up to the bomber name, as the Ploesti flak hole [repaired and painted over] just missed the little running bear.

The B-24D repairs on 55 aircraft took weeks as some bombers had major flak damage.

In the fifty-five B-24s which returned to Bengasi, 54 aircrew members were wounded.

In September 1943, Jack Benny and his USO troop show landed at Bengasi and the special guests were housed in the officer’s mess, with fully topless pin-up wall art. Movie star Anna Lee talks with the Ninth Air Force officers, while her ‘look-a-like’ smiles from the wall.

These original buildings had been headquarters for the “Desert Fox” Rommel.

Blues singer Wini Shaw confers with Col. Nero [middle] and Col. Compton making plans for the evening outdoor show.

Jack Benny and Wini Shaw with the Ninth Air Force members after the evening open-air performance. Note the Corporal on Wini’s right who has turned away from the camera, possibly not wanting his wife back in the U. S. to see what is going on in North Africa.

Jack Benny has a B-24D named after him, serial 41-24112.

Jack Benny USO performer “Birdie Dean” becomes a living Ninth Air Force bomber pin-up girl. The Naples-Foggia campaign began on 18 August 1943, and continued until 21 January 1944. New B-24 bombers were arriving for the Ninth Air Force, joining Allied bombardment of communications and airfields in Italy. After the invasions of Sicily and Italy, the Ninth Air Force was ordered to England 3 October 1942. They would now become the tactical air force for the invasion of the Continent. Some of these new Libya painted B-24D desert nose art gals would become famous later in England, such as “Sack-Time Sally” of the 389th Bomb Group, 565th B. Squadron. This B-24D-95-CO serial 42-40749 took part in the 1 August raid on Ploesti, [without any nose art] and flew out of Bengasi from 3 July to 27 August 1943. The nose art nude was painted in early September possibly by ground crew artist S/Sgt. Cecil O. Lippard, taken from the September issue of Esquire “Varga” pin-up girl. Vargas [dropped the ‘s’] and took over from George Petty in January 1942 issue of Esquire.

The 565th began operations from Massicault, Tunisia, 20 September 1943, so that dates this image first two weeks in September at Bengasi, Libya.

American Air Museum Britain UPL15278

“Sally” flew from Hethel, England, and was shot down over Holland, on 26 November 1943. More detailed history can be found on the American Air Museum Britain website.

During the summer of 1943, two veteran B-24D bombers which survived the air war in North Africa, were sent home for American War Bond tours. This presented a major nose art nudity problem for the folks back home in the United States.

A most famous Ploesti survivor B-24D-20-CO, 41-117671, 98th Bomb Group, 343rd B. Squadron, with original painted nose art recorded on 16 mm film in July 1943, at Libya.

This little native nude flew with “The Vulgar Virgin” part of the infamous Ploesti raid on 1 August 1943, and survived seventy-three missions in North Africa. However, you could never show this to the American public [even in today’s museum’s 2020] so, the original nose art was [censored] repainted for her war bond tour.

This is the “fake” 1943 nose art painted on B-24D-2-CO, serial 41-11761, “The Squaw.” The full history can be found on a number of websites, but thanks to the internet, plus many professional model builders, the true history can now be told and shown in B-24D decals.

The true tragedy of what actually took place over Ploesti on 1 August 1943 would not be fully understood until postwar interviews were conducted with 186 American P.O.W. airmen.

The Bomb Group’s mix-up and military nightmare which took place afterwards has been recorded many, many, times and need not be repeated in detail here. The leading group to attack Ploesti were the 376th B.G. [twenty-nine B-24D] followed by the 93rd B.G. with thirty-nine bombers. These two groups made a turn too early, mistaking Targoviste for the [Initial Point] at Floresti, twenty miles further north/east. This pointed the two groups towards Bucharest, becoming the most fatal incident of the entire mission. The 389th B.G. [twenty-six B-24D] left the other four groups at the city of Pitest, [Initial Point] and at five hundred feet struck their targets at Campina. The 98th B.G. [forty-one B-24D] and 44th B.G. [thirty-six] bombers followed the correct flight plan, taking them directly over a heavily armed German flak train “Die Raupe” [caterpillar] on the main line from Floresti to Ploesti, which damaged several Liberators, shooting down seven B-24Ds in Killer Kane’s 98th Bomb Group. This German flak train [camouflaged as freight train] with a full head of steam, literally chased the two Bomb Groups towards Ploesti.
Col. Kane at the controls of “Hail Columbia” led thirty-four B-24s [the German flak train shot down seven bombers] of the 98th B.G. into the intense heat and flame of the target area, but only nineteen escaped the inferno and intense flak, twenty-two were shot down.
B-24D-20-CO “The Vulgar Virgin” led the last “E” Section of six bombers [two turned back] into the target and only Lt. Weisler in “B” serial #026 came out of the smoke and flame. Five B-24D aircraft were shot down.

The only survivor from B-24D, serial 41-24198 “The Vulgar Virgin” was the pilot Capt. Wallace C. Taylor. On 15 October 1945, Major [promoted postwar] #0-729382 Wallace Taylor was interrogated by 1St. Lt. Lucille Caldwell and the following was stated:
The Vulgar Virgin was flying as lead aircraft in “E” section of the 98th Bomb Group attacking formation. Over the target the bomber took a direct flak hit in the nose section and burst into flames. Capt. Taylor pulled out of the formation –

“I immediately called the nose and tail but could not contact either one. I then gave the bail out order and rang the alarm bell. I saw the co-pilot, engineer, and assistant engineer bail out. I do not know what happened to the other members of the crew. I bailed out and landed in the vicinity of Ploesti. I left the plane when those with me were out and it was impossible to stay longer in the flames and heat.”

F/O Paul W. Packer, Co-pilot [KIA], 1st Lt. Jack K. Wood, Navigator [KIA], 1st. Lt. Robert N. Austin, Bombardier [KIA], T/Sgt. Gerald E. Rabb, Engineer/top gunner, [KIA], T/Sgt. Alfred F. Turgeon, Radio Operator/left waist gunner [KIA], S/Sgt. Ralph M. Robbins, Gunner/asst. engineer [KIA], S/St. Louis Kaiser, Right waist gunner [KIA], S/Sgt. Donald H. Duchene, Tail gunner [KIA], Sgt. Arthur B. Van Kleek, Tunnel gunner, [KIA].
More than eighty brave American flyers who perished on that “Black Sunday” remain unrecovered.

“Oh, General, I bet you tell that to all the spies!”

The Forgotten “Vargas” Girls (Draft PDF Version)

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Note from the author
I have done my best to use free domain images and my own material, but something might just be copyright issues. Just contact me through the
comment section.
Clarence Simonsen

The Forgotten “Vargas” Girls

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Draft Text version (images to be added later)

The Forgotten “Vargas” Girls

Note from the author
I have done my best to use free domain images and my own material, but
something might just be copyright issues. Just contact me through the
comment section.
Clarence Simonsen

The Forgotten “Vargas” Girls

Note from the author

I have done my best to use free domain images and my own material, but something might just be copyright issues. Just contact me through the comment section.

Clarence Simonsen

Image

Miss Mara Corday TRUE magazine February 1952

The voluptuous Miss Mara Corday was 5’ 5” with a 35-inch bust when she first posed for Alberto Vargas in spring of 1947. Born Marilyn Joan Watts on 3 January 1930, in Santa Monica, California, like many pretty young American teens she began seeking a career in films, and arrived in Hollywood at age fifteen years. While working as an usherette at the Mayan Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, she fell in love with a Cuban bongo player [Lecuona Cuban Boys] and during their romantic affair he called her “Marita” which meant ‘my little Mara.’ She liked the new nickname and began to use it in place of Marilyn. In 1947, she took the stage surname Corday from a magazine perfume ad, advanced her age to eighteen years, and began dancing as a showgirl at the Earl Carroll Theatre on Sunset Boulevard. While the modeling and Hollywood actress career of Miss Mara Corday was just beginning, the life of world famous American women illustrator Alberto Vargas was slowly coming to a tragic end. On 30 April 1946, a four-year battle of bitter litigation began between Alberto Vargas and Esquire Inc. magazine, ending on 17 February 1948, in the Circuit Court of Appeals in California. In September 1946, [while the second appeal trail was in proceedings] Vargas formed “Varga Enterprises” and began preparing for a new special issue of his “Varga” 1948 calendar. Showgirl dancer, and model, Miss Mara Corday was found by Alberto and posed in early 1947, where later Vargas painted her on the sleeve cover for his new 1948 “Varga” calendar.

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The Mara Corday letterhead created by Vargas in 1947. [Internet] Her right hand is holding a flower which was drawn inside the large circle on letter “g.”

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Reid Stewart Austin collection – Varga 1947, second letter-head design. Pen in right hand.

Alberto Vargas had originally intended to use this V trade-mark with his new “Varga Enterprises Inc.” however Esquire took him to court and halted both the use of the name “Varga” and the 1948 Varga calendar due to copyright infringement. On 4 May 1946, Esquire, Inc., [lawyers and Alfred Smart] applied to the United States Patent Office for the trade-mark “THE VARGA GIRL” and in an Esquire countersuit on 8 June 1950, Esquire won, taking full control of everything named “Varga” including the 162 pin-up paintings he had completed during World War Two. The man, who had done so much for the United States of America fighting man, was now left with no income and no future. He owed Esquire, Inc., $4,260.00, could not pay his lawyer, who took ten per cent of what he could earn, then his loving wife Anna Mae needed a radical mastectomy and their bungalow was suddenly under a triple mortgage. Alberto tried to find any type of artistic employment for income, painting toiletries, lingerie, and sending his latest drawings to various men’s magazines and pin-up girl agencies. Alberto was most willing to work, but the realities of life in the United States had changed, there was no more need for the painted pin-up girl and the next months were very grim and workless. The art community had forgotten about Alberto Vargas and their heavily mortgaged home now faced imminent foreclosure. Sadly, the American general public had no idea what had legally taken place.

On Sunday, 25 June 1950, North Korean tanks crossed the border into South Korea and this massive attack caught Western Alliance completely by surprise. The strength of the North Korean Peoples Army, large quantity of Soviet built T-34 tanks, and their well trained forces were a formidable force in contrast to the South Korean Army and the weak United States military defensive weapons. This was the beginning of three years of war [United Nations Police Action] which still affects our world peace today. The history of the air and ground conflict up and down the Korean Peninsula can be read in hundreds of publications, and many internet websites, which recorded the United Nations airpower, mostly being the United States Fifth Air Force and naval air forces from the U.S. Navy Task Force #77.

This massive build-up of American airpower suddenly created a huge demand for bomber and fighter aircraft nose art, with Esquire magazine being the major source producing American pin-up girl paintings. This image was taken 17 August 1951, after returning from a bombing raid on Taegu, North Korea, where 98 Superfortress B-29s had dumped 850 tons of bombs on the north side of the Naktong River. Left is Lt. John Wood, navigator of “United Notions” and right is T/Sgt. Joseph Goslin, the flight engineer. Almost every one of these 98 American bombers carried impressive life-size nude and topless nose art ladies, which came directly from the pages of Esquire magazine painted by artist Al Moore. This story was published in LIFE magazine and if Alberto Vargas saw and read it, I’m sure it became a low point in his life. During WWII his Esquire Varga girls had been the inspiration for the majority of Allied aircraft nose art, and now the name “Varga” and his painted ladies were dead.

Artist Al Moore was born in Chicago, Illinois, and played professional football with the Chicago Bears. After graduating from the famed Chicago Art Institute and Academy of Art he opened his commercial art studio in the fall of 1930. During the war years he painted for the U.S. government, Saturday Evening Post, and Collier’s magazines. In 1946, he was painting ads for U.S. Rubber and Coca-Cola when he was chosen by David Smart of Esquire Inc. to replaced the hated Alberto Vargas. His skin tones and girls were so very different from that of George Petty and Alberto Vargas, but of course the quality of art did not really matter to Smart. In 1949, Al Moore painted the entire Esquire Girl calendar and when you examine the 1950 and 1951 calendars you will find each and every girl soon appeared as nose art on the American Medium and Heavy bombers plus Allied fighters in the Korean conflict.

What occurred next is the most over-looked and forgotten part of the entire Alberto Vargas career. Beginning in 1950, Alberto Vargas painted a series of large nudes [twelve] which were planned as a legacy to his wife and to please himself during these depressing hard times. This was explained in detail to me over the phone by Reid Stewart Austin [October 1995] and today five legacy nude paintings can be found in his 2006 publication, Alberto Vargas – Works from the Max Vargas Collection, forward by Hugh Hefner. The legacy nudes are found in the chapter titled – “The 1950s and the Vargas Girl.”

In an effort to find work to pay the bills, sets of these twelve legacy beautiful nude transparencies were mailed to various men’s magazines and agencies by Alberto. One set was mailed to “TRUE” the men’s magazine published by Fawcett Publications, and received by the Art Director Mr. Al Allard, who in turn contacted Alberto in fall 1949. Vargas explained he could no longer use the name Varga [owned by Esquire Inc.] and Al Allard made it very clear it was his famous girl art they wanted not his name. A nine-month contract was signed and once again Alberto received much needed income to save his home and career. What few Americans understand is Esquire Inc. and [bastard] David Smart instructed his company lawyers to halt this new series of TRUE “Vargas” pin-up girls, however their legal attempt rightly failed. That changed American nose art history. Alberto Vargas next posted an ad in Variety magazine looking for new models, interviewed, and selected nine for his new True Girl series, then began painting. For these new True Girl paintings [possibly ten or more] Alberto created a new signature trademark [below] which was painted on each canvas, however only nine girls appeared in True magazine. Over the passing years many publications have mixed and confused the legacy nude girls with the TRUE Girl paintings from 1951 and 1952.

Above is the new “Vargas” signature the artist created for the series of nine True Girls 1950-52. The “v” is small, and the tail of the ‘g’ is not slanted but painted straight downwards. This appeared only on the nine True Girls by Vargas plus one-or-two other paintings for the same period painting, 1950-52 era. [I believe ten paintings contained this signature]

Miss Gwen Caldwell appeared as the first True issue for October 1951, and Miss Mara Corday appeared in February 1952, the fifth pin-up girl Alberto selected. Google her name and you will enjoy reading the career of this natural beauty with the best body in Hollywood. She appeared in over 30 publications and had over 50,000 images taken, a few fully nude, earning the title “The Most Photographed Model in the World.” I also believe she became the only model to appear in the same pose [February 1947] as first a “Varga” Girl [1948 calendar sleeve cover] and then later in 1952 as a True Girl by Vargas using his new signature. Only Mara Corday can truly answer those detailed questions, and today [2019] she is still living.

I feel the growing demand for American aircraft nose art during the Korean War indirectly led to saving the career of Alberto Vargas. The 1951 TRUE magazine nine-month series provided Alberto with much needed income [possibly $9 thousand] and at the same time reintroduced his creative women art style to the United Nations at war. Three of his nine True magazine Vargas girls appeared as nose art on three different B-29 bombers during 1952, and the power of the pin-up girl was back in United States of America. This was not missed by a young man in Chicago named Huge Hefner, who purchased [$500] the photos of an unknown nude lady named Marilyn Monroe, and placed her on the front cover of his new magazine called Playboy. Never before had the nudity of a young American girl been so vividly exposed in a national circulated magazine which was directed at the general public [U.S. and Canada] for sale. By 1954, Miss Mara Corday had also become the leading model appearing in numerous men’s magazines, but now Playboy was slowly changing the American attitude towards the nude pin-up girl. Miss Corday later appeared as the October 1958 Playboy Playmate.

In the fall of 1917, Alberto Vargas met a slender strawberry-blonde beauty from Soddy, Tennessee, named Anna Mae Clift. She became his model, his only true love, and they married on 9 June 1930.

This painting of Anna Mae Cliff 1920, from Reid Stewart Austin collection 1995.

Miss Cliff had come from a poor background and a broken home, arriving in New York with an unhappy and confused personal life. In search of security and a better life, she only found all-night-wild-parties, jazz, drinking, and sex, which represented America in the 1920s. In her ‘little artist’ [Alberto] she found an intelligent, handsome, perfect gentleman who truly loved her. During the bad times Anna Mae continued to model to support the couple while Alberto looked for painting work.

The tragedy of the Esquire years requires in-depth reading to digest just what took place, and this is best told in the 1978 book Vargas by Reid Stewart Austin and the artist himself Alberto Vargas.

By 1956, Anna Mae became aware of the increasing success of Playboy magazine, as she had modeled for fifteen educational years, fully understanding the change which was now taking place in America. She convinced Alberto that the only chance for publication of his nude girl paintings would be Playboy magazine. The couple took another loan from their mortgaged home and boarded the train for Chicago to meet with Huge Hefner. Hefner promised he would see if he could fit a few of the Vargas nude girls into his magazine, which in fact occurred in the March 1957 issue titled “The Vargas Girl.”

Reid Stewart Austin collection 1995. One of the March 1957 nudes by Vargas.

The five-page article included a full biography of Alberto with nude paintings of his work. This amazing nude appeared on page 56, and a copy was sent to me by Reid Stewart Austin. I believe this original Vargas artwork was owned by Reid Austin and sold to Charles Martignette around 1997. In 1995, during our last phone call, Reid told me he had a serious health issue [lung cancer] which required he sell some original Vargas art to Mr. Martignette for needed income.

In March 1960, I turned 16 years of age, a simple hard-working Canadian farm kid from Acme, Alberto. I was at last allowed to purchase a new adult magazine called Playboy and had no idea this would change my life forever, plus later place me in direct contact with Reid Stewart Austin. The September 1960 [Vol. 7, No. 9] issue came with a new addition on page 100, a Vargas nude painting. The original [author] Playboy page appears below.

In September 1960, the name Alberto Vargas had no meaning or connection to my interest in World War Two aircraft nose art. That all changed in the next five years, when I served four years in the Canadian Army Military Police and while posted to United Nations in Cyprus in 1965, began painting life-size Playboy girls as large wall art. In 1966, I became a member of the Metro. Toronto Police Force and my main avocation became preserving, repainting and recording the history of aircraft nose art, which I soon discovered included Alberto Vargas. On 29 November 1978, I wrote to Esquire, Inc., 488 Madison Ave., New York, and received a detailed history of Mr. Vargas and a list of 162 “Esquire Girls” he had painted, cordially sent by Phyllis Crawley, Vice President of Corporate Communications. There was no mention of David Smart or what Esquire, Inc., had done to destroy the career of Alberto Vargas, however Ms. Crawley suggested I read three books one being a recent Harmony Books publication titled – “VARGAS” by Alberto Vargas and Reid S. Austin. The following year, I purchased this publication which is the “Bible” of all Alberto Vargas history books, told by the artist himself. The Vargas Esquire contracts are both published in full to read and digest, plus the last two pages contain the detailed technique used to create a “Varga” or Vargas Girl, told by Alberto himself. I still laugh when I read the last line written by Reid Austin.

“It can’t hurt if you do this before beginning [Alberto crosses himself] Page 127 Technique.

The book dust-cover contained an image of the author Reid Stewart Austin and a brief outline of his career, associate art director of Playboy magazine in June 1959, brought Hugh Hefner and Alberto Vargas together in 1961, became personal art director for Alberto Vargas for seventeen years, etc. Now, that was the man I wanted to talk to, however I knew he would never answer my letters, and tossed the idea from my mind. I continued my WWII aircraft nose art research and never realized I was making contact with a few important people who knew Reid Stewart Austin. In August 1981, an unexpected package arrived by mail.

The impossible had occurred, and I would now share photos, correspondence, questions, and lengthy phone calls with Reid Austin for the next sixteen years. Our last phone call took place in summer of 1996, he had at long last received the contract to publish the “Petty” story and pin-up girls from Esquire artist George Petty. This was the first time Reid mentioned he had a serious medical problem, and had to sadly part [sell] two of his original Vargas watercolor girls, to Charles G. Martignette. Martignette was an art collection and rich dealer with the largest original collection of American illustrators and artists in the world, based at Hallandale Beach, Florida. At the time, he was collecting the largest original gallery of Alberto Vargas drawings and paintings other than those paintings held by the artist himself. In October 1997, I was surprised by a first edition signed copy of the new book PETTY by Reid Stewart Austin. In return, I painted a large 1941 WWII Petty girl [40” by 40”] nose art on original aircraft skin from the year 1941, and mailed to Reid. I received a nice Walt Disney Christmas card from Reid, thanking me, and this became our last contact, 6 December 1997.

Postmarked Albuquerque, New Mexico, 6 December 1997.

Sadly, Reid died of lung cancer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, early September 2006.

Reid was the kind gentleman who informed me about the series of TRUE magazine pin-up girls painted by Alberto Vargas, which became a turning point in his career and rebirth of his name “Vargas.” Reid wished to publish this history in a future book, however as far as I know nothing ever transpired. The following is my TRUE Girl small tribute to Reid Stewart Austin and the one-and-only Alberto Vargas.

Miss Gwen Caldwell became the first True Girl by Vargas, October 1951.

Miss Caldwell was born in Greenville, Mississippi, in the year 1927, and came to Hollywood twenty-one years later. She won “Most Beautiful Legs in the World’ in 1949, and posed for Alberto the following year, the same year she appeared in “Tarzan and the Slave Girl” seen in the RKO free domain picture poster.[above] A most attractive model, she appeared in two other movies and many pin-up magazines during the 50’s. Many of her original negatives and images can be purchased online today. I believe she became the first Korean War B-29 aircraft ‘nose art’ inspired and copied from her Alberto Vargas True Girl October 1951.

This appears to be the background sketch in True magazine photo showing Gwen and Alberto drinking tea, titled – Vargas is charmed. This image did not appear in True magazine, possibly due to the fact it was not finished in time. The Vargas signature [slanted ‘g’] on this painting is correct for the post 1952 year. Most beautiful legs, indeed.

Original True Girl by Vargas [with straight ‘g’] page 36, October 1951.

This aircraft painting image was taken from a video on a WB-29 nose art saved by Mr. John R. Edmondson, Yokota, Japan, in 1951-52. The video indicates she flew with the 56th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, [serial unknown] with name “Never.” The original 512th Bomb Group was a WWII unit activated on 19 October 1942 and inactivated 26 March 1946. From 13 February 1947 until 9 January 1950, they flew as a weather gathering unit at Fairfield-Suisun, Air Force Base, California. They arrived at Yokota, Japan on 27 January 1950, flying weather reconnaissance and typhoon tracking in their area of responsibility. When the North Korean People’s Army struck across the 38th parallel before dawn on 25 June 1950, four WB-29 aircraft of the 512th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron were ordered to curtail regular flights, and begin reconnaissance missions over North Korea, code named “Buzzard.” On 21 February 1951, the newly created 56th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron replaced the 512th Weather Squadron, assuming its personnel and WB-29 aircraft. This nose art photo indicates the very first Alberto Vargas True Girl image [Miss Gwen Caldwell] October 1951, was copied by a very talented Japanese artist in Yokota, Japan, and flew with the new 56th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron over North Korea. The 98th Bomb Group station at Yokota, Japan, employed this unknown talented Japanese artist who painted life-size nudes on their B-29 bombers, and this style appears to be her painting. This history will be covered in detail later with True Girl December 1951. This “Never” painting was possibly the very first Vargas inspired B-29 bomber nose art to appear in the Korean War, October 1951.

The second Vargas girl appeared in November 1951, Susan Ames.

Born Suzanne Marguerite Ainbinder in Chicago, Illinois, 31 December 1931, she was a straight “A” student and graduated with honors in 1948. She studied ballet and music in Cleveland, Ohio, and moved to New York where she became a member of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet at age seventeen. Dancing talent got her a chance to appear in a Hollywood film as a Goldwin girl and she would appear in seven films, but her actress career never took off. She met Alberto Vargas in 1949, with measurements 5’ 7”, 121 pounds, 37“bust, she became his favorite model.

Susan Ames far left in 1954, with Jimmy Durante, Angie Dickinson, Groucho Marx and Dawn Oney. [Internet free domain] Susan died on 6 June 2008 in Saratoga Springs, Florida.

Suzanne Ainbinder [Susan Ames] True Girl #2 by Vargas November 1951. [author collection]

“Irish” Nellie Elizabeth McCalla was born 25 December 1928, in Pawnee City, Nebraska, USA, appearing as the third TRUE girl by Vargas in December 1951. During WWII she worked in an aircraft factory and spent weekends on the beach as a lifeguard or sketching for her paintings. That’s where Alberto discovered her in 1949, she was twenty years old.

By age 16 years, Irish McCalla’s measurements were 39-24-38 and she stood 5’ 10” which attracted a number of pin-up photographers. Irish and Alberto [5’ tall] appeared together on the November 1950 issue of EVE magazine, and a year later she appeared as the True Girl by Vargas. Google her name and be prepared to read an amazing career from an equal amazing Vargas pin-up lady.

The comic book “Sheena” Queen of the Jungle originated in 1942, and Irish McCalla became the living Sheena in the T.V. series from 1955 to 1956. She was also a very talented artist and received private instructions from Alberto, became a member of Women Artist of the American West and painted over 1,000 paintings, one of which hangs in the [West Wing] of the White House. Irish survived a brain tumor operation twice, then passed away from a third brain tumor and stroke on 1 February 2002 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Irish McCalla was raised with strong Catholic values and only appeared nude in a series of images taken by her trusted friend Alberto Vargas, which he used to complete his painting for True magazine 1951. She requested those images only be published after her death, and that request was honoured. The set of nudes were published for the first time in Playboy magazine issue February 2008. Much more info, plus, many photos can be found on other websites if interested, and the complete set of nudes are online. This is the free domain 1950 image which Vargas used for his final painting, where he captured her full nude beauty. Alberto first completed the full nude body flesh watercolor tint which was the most important factor in all paintings. He applied glycerine to the water, keeping it wet for even color flow. His complete technique is explained in detail in the 1978 publication “VARGAS” by Reid Stewart Austin. The see-through red nightie was airbrushed on last.

True Girl by Vargas page 45, December 1951 issue, which inspired B-29 Korean War Nose Art, “Baby San.” It is most likely Irish McCalla never learned her topless image flew over and bombed North Korea in 1952. [author collection]

98th Bomb Group B-29 Superfortress 44-86290, Yokota, Japan, January 1952. “Baby San” was a Japanese meaning for very young. The lady is playing strip poker [three cards] and holds a lucky chicken wish-bone in left hand. Half of her panties are gone, however her cards read “21.”

The U.S.A.A.F. 98th Bombardment Group [Very Heavy] were a famous WWII unit which served in North Africa and Sicily earning Distinguished Citations for the bombing raids on the oil fields at Ploesti, Rumania, August 1943. A large number of the B-24 bombers they flew carried nose art pin-up ladies from the pages of Esquire magazine, painted by artist’s George Petty and Alberto Vargas. The unit was inactivated on 10 November 1945, as their services were no longer required.

On 1 July 1947, the 98th B.G. was activated, re-designated a medium bomber unit and began training in the B-29 Superfortress bomber, stationed at Spokane, Air Force Base, Washington, 24 September 1947, under Strategic Air Command. In August 1950, the 98th moved to Yokota Air Base, Japan, attached to Far East Air Forces for duty in the United Nations Korean War offensive. They primarily bombed in support of U.N. ground troops, attacking oil centres, rail marshalling yards, troop concentrations, military installations and enemy airfields. Almost every B-29 carried life-size nude or topless elaborate American nose art paintings, which were painted by a local Japanese lady artist called “Rembrandt.” Just seven years before, this young lady had been hiding from the same American B-29s which burned Japan to the ground with a great loss of civilian life. Now this unknown Japanese lady was applying her artistic talent to some of these very same WWII American bombers. Each month she selected a new Al Moore Esquire pin-up girl page and created her own aircraft nose art for the American B-29 aircrew.

Note – on right, August 1950, page of Al Moore “Esquire Girl” taped to the B-29 nose skin.

[author collection from Herbert L. Zuidema, Yokota, Japan]

Al Moore painting “Esquire Girl” August 1950 issue [author collection]

The completed B-29 nose art pin-up girl – “Our Gal.” [author collection]

Sadly, the name of this Japanese lady artist has been lost with the passage of time; however with the power of the internet, her identity can possibly still be preserved for history. By early June 1952, the war in Korea was coming to a slow uneasy close and the 98th Bomb Group was in-activated on 16 June 1952, returning to the United States. Korea became the last battle ground for the B-29 Superfortress, as the massive bomber was no match for the Russian built Mig 15 jet fighters. The last RB-29 combat mission flown over Korea took place 27 July 1953.

The January 1952 True Girl by Vargas is a mystery, named by Alberto Miss Autumn Rice

The correct name and date of birth for Miss Rice is not known. Age 21 years, 5’ 3”, 35-24-34.

February 1952, True Girl by Vargas was Miss Mara Corday, featured in my cover story.

This original pose was sketched in 1947, when seventeen-year-old Miss Corday was a showgirl at the Earl Carroll Theatre, Sunset Blvd. This image was taken in possibly 1950, for True magazine publication, appearing in the February 1952 pin-up page 45. [author collection]

If there is one single model pose which was a trade-mark to Alberto Vargas, I feel it was this 1947 image. Alberto drew and painted this [V for Varga] image in at least four different postions, and had Esquire, Inc., and David Smart not destroyed everything with the name “Varga” Miss Mara Corday would still today be the most famous “Varga signature girl” ever.

Miss Corday was signed by Universal Pictures and received small roles in various class “B” movies as well as a number of Westerns. In 1975, she met and became a close friend of Clint Eastwood, possibly due to her western movie acting. She had a brief but very significate role in four of his film’s, 1977 “The Gauntlet”, 1983 “Sudden Impact”, 1989 “Pink Cadillac” and 1990 “The Rookie.” In 1983, she played the waitress dumping tons of sugar into Inspector Harry Callahan’s coffee and the hostage being held by a black thug when Dirty Harry said – “Go ahead, make my day,” What a lady, what a claim to fame. Google the movie clip and count how many shots Dirty Harry fired. [Was it five or six?]

On 29 November 1978, I wrote to Esquire, Inc., New York City, and they sent me a list of 162 “Varga Girls” from their files, painted from 1940-1946. These girls were drawn three or four times on tissue paper before he began his final painting. During his 1960-73 Playboy years he painted 152 works, two covers, and these girls were drawn on one tissue paper before his final painting. For some unknown reason, the nine [1951-52] True Girls by Vargas are missing from publications, websites, and Vargas history in general. In the mid-1990’s, I ask Reid Austin what an original TRUE Vargas painting would be worth. He estimated around $100,000.

Charles Martignette possessed the largest collection of original Vargas paintings, other that the Estate of the Alberto Vargas. In 2008, Martignette died at Hallandale, Florida, and selected paintings from his vast estate collection have been auctioned off for millions, on three different dates. In February 2010, a Varga 22” by 18” Duotone color signature [below] painting of Miss Mara Corday sold for $101,575.00.

Alberto Vargas placed an ad in Variety magazine for models, and he received a variety of interesting ladies who wished to pose in the nude for his 1951-52 TRUE magazine paintings. The March 1952 True Girl featured a very mature [32 years of age] attractive Florence Marly, Czech-born, 2 June 1919, French trained actress, who had appeared in several films.

Movie ad photo for the 1949 film Tokyo Joe with Florence Marly and Humphrey Bogart.

The most attractive Florence Marly had just appeared in the film “Tokyo Joe” with Humphrey Bogart, which was the very first Hollywood feature film shot entirely on location in Japan. The above free domain image first appeared in Screenland magazine on 1 September 1950. The film had mixed reviews from the critics, writing it was – “little more than a Bogart parody.” Marly’s performance in the film received positive reviews, some stating she gave her best performance ever. It is possible Alberto Vargas saw the film and the natural beauty of this veteran actress caught his eye. Marly had escaped Nazi-Germany with her Jewish husband [Pierre Chenal] and lived in Argentina where she stared in several films under the name Hana Smekalova. She played a major role in the film Les Maudits, a fictional account of the fate of World War Two Nazi refugees. There is much more to this amazing actress, and Vargas pin-up girl, so please Google her name and enjoy. During the Korean War she returned to Japan to entertain American troops and justly was painted as nose art on a 98th B.G., B-29 bomber.

The 1951 pose of Florence Marly in Alberto Vargas private studio.

Reid Stewart Austin was in this studio many times and displayed [seen] on his left, Alberto had a wall covered with his WWII Esquire “Varga” girls, the ones legally stolen by David Smart. His studio contained a small washroom, and when you lifted the toilet seat, there was a large blow-up photo of David Smart. David Smart died at age sixty, [1952] unable to recover from a very minor operation, and the feelings of joy from Alberto can be fully understood. The man who almost destroyed him was now gone forever, and his Vargas Girls were being reborn in the pages of True magazine and once again painted on the nose of American aircraft in the Korean War. Vargas was back, but still largely forgotten.

Blow-up photo from True magazine March 1952. [Author collection]

She appeared in 23 films and T.V. in the 1960’s. Was blacklisted in Hollywood as a Russian spy, which later proved to be false, however it affected her American movie career.

The 32-year-old Florence Marly, March 1952 True magazine. Married twice, she died at age 59 years, Glendale, California, 9 November 1978.

Painted by the same unknown female Japanese nose artist at Yokota, Air Force Base, Japan, on B-29A serial 42-94022, in the 98th Bomb Group.

Skivvy Girl became the third Korean War B-29 inspired from a True Girl by Alberto Vargas.

The April 1952, True Girl by Vargas was another sunny blonde knockout, born 5 November 1931, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, named Marilyn Ardith Waltz. [Author collection]

The twenty-year-old was a pin-up model/actress who answered the Variety ad requesting new models, and its possible Alberto took some images to finish her painting. The above free domain was taken by Ace advertising photographer Hal Adams for the April 1954 Playmate. This is what Alberto saw, sketched, and painted just three years earlier.

Page 45 True Girl by Vargas, April 1952. [Author collection]

Marilyn Waltz first appearance in Playboy magazine for February 1954 issue under the name Margaret Scott. She appeared in a number of men’s magazines in the 50’s including the above taken for a British pulp. Her sole movie actress appearance came in 1954, a very obscure film titled “Love Me Madly.” She became a more successful TV commercial actress appearing in several ads, and then owned a successful real estate firm in Southern California. In 1993, she moved to Medford, Oregon, working in real estate and retiring in 1993. Miss Waltz died at age 75 years on 23 December 2006, in Medford, Oregon.

The Original “Esquire” Varga Girl 1941 to 1947 appeared as the May 1952 True Girl.

From Reid Stewart Austin 1995 phone call – “Alberto had initially used his wife Anna Mae as his main model until late in 1940. He then found a fifteen-year-old petite beauty with glorious flaming red hair, and Jeanne Dean became his primary “Varga” model during 1941 and 1942. She was chaperoned by her mother for the first meeting, where Alberto introduced her to his wife and explained his intentions. Alberto was a perfect gentleman and Jeanne’s mother never played guardian again.

Jeanne first posed in the Vargas apartment at 936 Lake Shore Drive, where Anna Mae was always close by. Alberto preferred petite models as he found their bodies were more evenly proportioned than longer legged ladies. Jeanne was 5’ 3” and her body had an indelible effect on all future Varga girl’s paintings during the Second World War.

Jeanne Dean was born 30 May 1925 in Chicago, where she was working as an usherette in the Studio Theatre when discovered in late 1940. In 1941 and 42 she became the primary model appearing as the Vargas Esquire girl in the monthly magazine plus over 250,000 Esquire calendars published for WWII troops each year. In 1943, Jeanne went to Hollywood and signed a contract with MGM, appearing in five motion pictures from 1952 to 1957. From 1946 to 1950 she returned to pose for some incredible nudes in the Vargas Legacy series.

This is Jeanne in Legacy #4 a 22” by 36” masterpiece titled “Cordillera de Los Andes.” You can find the complete nude image online and reproductions for sale on the internet.

In late 1951, Jeanne returned to pose for Alberto, [girl eight] she was 26 years of age and working on two films which both came out in 1952, “Never Wave at a WAC” and “Voodoo Tiger.” In August 1958, the government of Peru invited Alberto and Anna to Lima for a major exhibit of his girl art. Some thirty paintings were crated and placed on a freighter, including the above True Girl of May 1952. This True painting original did not return to the United States until 1990, where it sold for $35,000.00. Someone rich and famous has it today and it could now be worth $135,000.00. Jeanne Dean [Kotler] died from lung cancer at her home in Malibu, age 68 years, 20 August 1994.

Author collection.

The May 1952 True image later appeared in a deck of Vargas playing cards. I suspect this image also appeared on aircraft during the Korean War, however I could never find any photo proof, and I do not have a large collection of Korean War nose art. [Over to you American experts]

The Ninth and last TRUE Girl by Vargas, appeared in June 1952. This beautiful lady posed as a Miss and appeared in True as a Mrs., the mother of a new baby boy.

The last True Girl became Miss Maxine Avis Ewart, born 22 February 1929, in Los Angeles, California. In 1949, she was a student attending the University of Southern California, winning two beauty awards and Miss Pasadena in 1950. In 1951, she answered the Vargas ad in Variety magazine and was selected for the last True Girl painting.

In 1951, Miss Ewart posed for Alberto and a few months later, [October] learned she was pregnant. The father Frank Gifford and Miss Ewart were married on 13 January 1952, and a son Jeffrey Scot Gifford was born on 15 June 1952, two weeks after his mother appeared in True magazine. The full story of Football great Frank Gifford and his three wives can be found on many websites if interested. In the late 1960s, Johnny Carson [Tonight Show] discovered his wife Joanne was having an affair with ex-NFL star Frank Gifford, and this led to divorce in both families. Miss Maxine Avis Ewart [Mrs. F. Gifford] died on 6 December 1998, in Fairfield, Connecticut, at 69 years of age. In the mid 1990s, Reid Stewart Austin estimated this original painting of Mrs. Maxine [Frank] Gifford could possibly sell for as much as $150,000.00. Lies, sex, and fame, sell for big bucks. This original 20” by 30” painting is believed to be in the Charles G. Martignette estate collection, and could be auctioned off in the near future.

The Frank Gifford family in happy times, Christmas 1963 [free domain]

Original True Girl by Vargas, page 45, June 1952. It is possible this image also appeared as aircraft nose art during the Korean War. [author collection]

The Nine Forgotten Vargas Girls 1951-52

October 1951 – Miss Gwen Caldwell, [1927- living] actress, [three films] pin-up model. Korean War B-29 Nose Art painting “NEVER.”

November 1951 – Miss Susan Ames, [born Suzanne Marguerite Ainbinder, 31 Dec. 1931 – 6 June 2008] actress, [seven films] pin-up model, Opera dancer.

Dec. 1951 – Miss Irish McCalla, [born Nellie Elizabeth McCalla, 25 Dec. 1928 – 1 Feb. 2002] T.V. actress, [Sheena 1955-56] pin-up model, artist who also painted nude ladies. Korean War B-29 Nose Art first painting named Phippen’s Pippins, later became “Baby San.”

Jan. 1952 – Miss Autumn Rice, [born unknown, age given as 21, name unknown] pin-up model. Possibly became an actress.

Feb. 1952 – Miss Mara Corday, [born Marilyn Joan Watts, 3 Jan. 1930 – living] actress, [ten films] pin-up model. Playboy Playmate 1958.

Mar. 1952 – Miss Florence Marly, [born 2 June 1919 – 9 Nov. 1979] actress, [23 films and T.V.] pin-up model. Married twice, blacklisted in Hollywood for a number of years. Korean War B-29 Nose Art painting, “Skivvy Girl” serial 42-94022.

Apr. 1952 – Miss Marilyn Waltz, [born Marilyn Ardith Waltz, 5 Nov. 1931 – 23 Dec. 2006, actress, [one-film 1954] singer, T.V. commercial actress, pin-up model. Playboy Playmate three times – 1954, Feb., 1954, April, and again April 1955.

May 1952 – Miss Jeanne Dean, [born 30 May 1925 – 20 Aug. 1994] actress, [five films 1952-57] pin-up model, original Vargas girl at age fifteen years.

June 1952 – Miss Maxine Ewart, [born Maxine Avis Ewart, 22 Feb. 1929 – 6 Dec. 1998] pin-up model, housewife to famous NFL star [All-American halfback] Frank Gifford.

The Korean War [1950-53] is often called the “Forgotten War” by Americans in publications and historical websites. This was the very first armed conflict of the Cold War, setting the tone for the Soviet-American rivalry, Space Race, and profoundly shaping the world we live in today. Sixty-six years later North Korea and United States continue to mount missile tests and taunt each other with threats of total nuclear war.

In 1946, Alberto Vargas and Esquire, Inc. went their separate ways and many court battles took place in the next four years. In 1948, Alberto published his “Varga” calendar, and Esquire obtained a court order to bar the artist from selling or distributing any product with the name “Varga.” In 1950, a District Court ruled [#10216 and #10217] that artist Alberto Vargas had to sign all his subsequent girl paintings with his full name “Vargas.” The artist and his Varga Girls were dead, and all his paintings were now property of Esquire, Inc. Thanks to American greed, David Smart and Esquire had maliciously taken the Varga Girls and disposed of the creator Alberto Vargas, just what they wanted. Alberto Vargas had nothing to show for his past five years of his work, plus the wartime Esquire Girls were no longer his property. The desperate couple slowly realized they had to start all over again, as Reid Austin said “treading water in an ocean of debt.”

For some unknown reason, [I can’t find the answer] the nine-month series of Hollywood starlets painted by Alberto Vargas for TRUE magazine are lost and forgotten. Even famous art dealer and fine art collector Charles G. Martignette fails to mention the True Girls by Vargas in his publications. Why? Martignette in fact owned a number of these original True Girls, now property of his huge millions estate.

My history on these nine Vargas starlets began in my simple search to find if they appeared as nose art in the Korean War, and yes three in fact were nose art. Two of these ladies are still living, and only one remains unknown. Six appeared in a total of 49 movies and two in a T.V. series. I am a huge fan of Turner Classic Movies and now and then one of these young pin-up girls appears in a movie, however even the TCM historians have no idea they were a Korean War pin-up lady or appeared on nose art. They are truly the “Forgotten Vargas Girls.”

Many thanks to Reid Stewart Austin for his friendship and answering my many questions.

	rglapp on RCAF Station Bella Bella…
	rglapp on RCAF Station Bella Bella…
	Pierre Lagacé on RCAF Station Bella Bella…
	William Edwards on RCAF Station Bella Bella…
	GP on Intermission